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Average Customer Rating:

I'm so happy I found these pictures again, what a treasure

Customer Rating:

When I was in 6th grade a brilliant teacher who loved to write would occassionally pull out these gorgeously detailed black and white photos depicting the most bizzare scenes with a line or two about the picture. From that picture and the line we would write a story. Everyone's stories ended up being so different. I searched high and low to find out what these pictures were and where they were from. They were from the Mysteries of Harris Burdick. They still intrigue and inspire me the way they did when I was a kid. Although now that I have the portfolio I see that there is a story about the mysteries of Harris Burdick, who he was and how he came to draw these pictures. This just added to the fun. I love these illustrations, I plan to have them all framed and put in my writing room. But if you are perhaps a teacher or parent or mentor who encourages others to write these are extremely inspiring photographs they are approximately 16 inches X 12 inches. These are the original 14 illustrations with a "newly discovered" 15th, They are inside of a large papery-cardboard portfolio. This was my first introduction to Chris Van Allsburg, and it wasn't until I saw (as an adult) the Polar Express sitting on a bookshelf in a library that I discovered this was the same author and illustrator. Since then I have purchased all have Mr. Van Allsburg's books. This series of illustrations was so meaningful to me I can not begin to describe it.

Inspiration for creative minds

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The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris van Allsburg goes beyond the traditional children's tale in its ability to spark inspiration and creativity within every reader, young and old. The book begins with a fictitious introduction, informing the reader of the literary legacy, or lack thereof, of a Mr. Harris Burdick. After showing samples of his work to a children's book publisher, Burdick has been hired. However, before Burdick is able to bring the complete copies of his fourteen stories and related pictures, he goes missing. What the publisher is left with are single titles, captions, and images from Burdick's stories, or what also becomes known as the mysteries of Harris Burdick. The real story ensues as each following page presents the reader with a challenge: to create their own story based on Burdick's suggestions. The simple, albeit convincing, black and white illustrations depict such original and distinctive events such as a woman taking a knife to a gleaming pumpkin and a house lifting off into outer space. The thought-provoking captions in this book will invoke realms of imagination readers may never have known existed and encourage children to express their own artistic vision.

Lose Yourself in, "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick"

Customer Rating:

From the author and illustrator of Jumanji and The Polar Express, comes an innovative new way to read children's books. Chris Van Allsburg introduces Harris Burdick, in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984), an artist who disappeared shortly after successful meeting with a children's book publisher. The fictional Burdick is said to have left behind his sketches, accompanying titles, and first lines of his future stories. The realistic illustrations are done beautifully in black and white. One page depicts a huge steamship squeezing between buildings through the canals of Venice. Each turn of the page brings a new illustration and text, but there is plenty of white space on the page for readers to write their own story. Allsburg fills his book with magical elements, like literate caterpillars, first lines that read, "He was warned her about the book. Now it was too late," and titles such as, "A Strange Day in July." Readers searching for a complete work may be disappointed, as Allsburg expects his readers to have great imaginations. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick may be best utilized as a creative writing tool in classrooms, but the book will also fit neatly into a house with a daydreaming child.

So great!	Customer Rating:
As a teacher, so many possibilities, as a mother, aunt, grandma, lots of great conversation. This has been done masterfully.

Brilliant	Customer Rating:
When I bought this book I thought how great it would be to write a story to go with each picture. Obviously, I'm not the only one to have this idea, as the other reviews here show. And Steven King has written a great story based on the "House on Maple Street" picture. A great book that has inspired, I hope, many future writers.