Parents' Guide to

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

By Mark Nichol, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Kids will be eager to complete unfinished tales.

Book Chris Van Allsburg Mystery 1984
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Floating bubbles of light hover over a sleeping boy. A strange lump reappears under the carpet in a man's room. A skipping stone acts like a boomerang. These are just the first few of fourteen exceedingly odd images conjured by children's illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. Children--and adults--can exercise their fancy by wrapping their own story around each one.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2 ):

This gorgeously illustrated volume is a must-have for Van Allsburg's fans, for young writers, and for any child who enjoys the fantastical. Chris Van Allsburg is known for his often unsettling tales, from the benign but dreamlike Christmas fable The Polar Express to the eerie Jumanji. But here, readers are left with only hints about the stories that surround these graphite-gray images -- it's up to readers to craft the tales these puzzling pictures imply. And what enchanting hints they are! Imaginative children (and their parents) can't resist the urge to script their own interpretations of what happens next.

Each dreamlike illustration is drawn with a slightly fuzzy quality that nevertheless makes magical use of light and shadow to convey a palpable sense of mystery, and period clothing and other artifacts enhance the classic style of the colorless but lush and subtly shaded drawings.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the seeds of stories. Think of a few possible stories for one of the pictures, exploring different genres.

Book Details

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