Children's Book in a Feature Film 1: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg is the original author of the infamous Jumanji. The book won a Caldecott Medal in 1982, and the movie that was later developed is quite similar to the original book. The brother and sister in the book, Peter and Judy, are also characters in the movie. The book and movie both begin with two children finding the game, Jumanji. The rule of the game is stated in the book and in the movie. This rule states that the game must be finished once it is started. In both the book and movie, each roll of the dice comes with a clever game direction with jungle undertones. A lion, monkeys, and a tsetse fly make an appearance in both the book and movie. In both the book and movie, when the game is finished, all of the happenings of the game disappear and all returns to normal.

Differences are also apparent. The biggest difference involves the main character in the movie, Alan Parish, played by Robin Williams. This young boy finds the game in a factory, and plays it with Sara, a girl that he adores. He gets pulled into the game for twenty years, until Judy and Peter find the game in the attic. In the book, the children find the game under a tree in the park. In the movie, Judy and Peter’s parents have died and they live with Aunt Nora. In the book, the children’s parents are still alive. At the end of the movie, young Alan and Sara throw the book over a bridge into a river and it washes ashore on a beach somewhere, but in the book, Judy and Peter put the game under a tree and see that it is found by Danny and Walter, children that they know and of whom they are not really fond. In the movie, the game changed Judy and Peter’s life for the better by saving their parents from a plane crash because Alan hires them and discourages the vacation that would have caused their death.

I liked Chris Van Allsburg’s version of Jumanji because it is a suspenseful book for children that is not scary. Children wouldn’t think that the monsters in the book were coming for them because they come from a board game.

I always had a love for adventure growing up which probably made me respond positively to the book. I also had a sister that I liked to play games with and this book reminded me of playing games with her.

Other books by Chris Van Allsburg have also been made into movies. For example, Zathura and The Polar Express are both children’s adventure books that have been turned into feature films. Zathura is a science fiction adventure.

From reading this book, I learned that children’s books can be suspenseful and adventurous without having to scare children and make them have nightmares.

References

Johnston, J. (Director), & Cort, R. (Producer). (1995). Jumanji [Motion picture]. United States: TriStar Pictures.

Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.