Jumanji (short story)
| Jumanji | |
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| Author(s) | Chris Van Allsburg |
| Illustrator | Chris Van Allsburg |
| Country | United States |
| Genre(s) | Children's, fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 32 pp |
| ISBN | 0-395-30448-2 |
| OCLC Number | 7196761 |
| Dewey Decimal | [Fic] 19 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.V266 Ju |
| Preceded by | The Garden of Abdul Gasazi |
| Followed by | Ben's Dream |
Jumanji is the title of a 1981 children's illustrated short story and fantasy story written and illustrated by the American author Chris Van Allsburg.[1] It was made into a 1995 film of the same name. Both the book and the movie are about a magical board game that implements real animals and other jungle elements as the players are playing the game. The troubles which the players have to overcome appear in real life, not only in the board game. "Jumanji" is a Zulu word meaning "many effects".[2]
Fritz, a bull terrier in all of Chris Van Allsburg's books, appears as a toy dog on wheels in the third illustration.
[edit] Storyline
While their parents are out for the evening, two siblings (Judy and Peter) play a game that they found in the park. The game is named "Jumanji", and while they play it, they have to face real-life jungle creatures such as a lion, monkeys, rhinos, and a snake. As the game progresses, new jungle disasters befall the two children. Finally, after they reach the end, the disasters caused by the game's magic are undone, and the house is back to normal as it was when they started the game.
Judy and Peter then dispose of the game just as their parents return home. They decide to play another, neutral board game, and are surprised to see two neighbor boys carrying the game home to play it.
[edit] See also
- Jumanji (film), a film based on this book. Unlike the book, the film has adult characters like Alan Parrish, Sarah Whittle, and Hunter Van Pelt.
- Jumanji (TV series), animated TV series roughly based on the book and the film.
- Zathura, another short story written by Van Allsburg, has also been adapted to film; its story also involves children who find a magic board game, but the theme is science fiction rather than jungle fiction. The children are Danny and Walter from the end of the story.
- Open Graves is about a similar game, but evil, as anyone who plays it and loses, dies.
[edit] References
- ^ Wheeler, Jill C. (2005). Chris Van Allsburg. Edina, Minn.: ABDO Pub. Co.. p. 13. ISBN 9781591977216. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-VG3qYxbCvcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA4&dq=jumanji+allsburg&ots=kuEikIELFy&sig=U25lCx3mNjXZ_TKyqoZgXDX0NPs#v=onepage&q=jumanji&f=false.
- ^ "Flashes: Name of the Game". Entertainment Weekly. December 8, 1995. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299864,00.html. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Fables |
Caldecott Medal recipient 1982 |
Succeeded by Shadow |
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