The Wreck of the Zephyr 30th Anniversary Edition

If I had to name my favorite Chris Van Allsburg book, it would probably be "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick," which pairs luminous, monochromatic, highly enigmatic images with the briefest and most suggestive of phrases, leaving the narrative up to the reader. But "The Wreck of the Zephyr," illustrated in full color pastels, with an economical story that is really a reminiscence, must run a close second. I also love "The Polar Express," another van Allsburg masterpiece, but "The Wreck of the Zephyr" offers a different kind of enchantment. For me, Chris van Allsburg's "homey" magic realism, arising out of and then transcending, the ordinary is as solid as his unique artistic style. Here is a dream––a very American dream of the highest achievement, of the desire to be the very best, a little tale about hubris leavened with the magic of powerful and evocative images––there is nothing "evanescent" or "will o'the wispy" about them––and his sculptural drawings and paintings make the improbable (or impossible) believable. And you'll want to look at these beautiful paintings again and again.

Don't buy this book on kindle. This is an amazing story which inspired my imagination as a child but kindle is doing this book a terrible disservice. The text and beautiful images are displayed side by side so even on a large iPad screen you don't get a good reading experience. You also don't get the chance to enjoy the art. I've had problems with kindle before but this one in particular breaks my heart. Buy the soft or hard cover instead of kindle but buy this story for sure.

This one takes a little more time to get rolling, but if you’re patient (and your kids are patient), you will end up loving this story! Make sure to ask them about an hour later how boats fly and just listen to the wonderful stories they come up with!

This was my son's favorite book as a child and continues to be as an adult. He gives this book to friends with children. The eBook version for Kindle is not great. It is worth it to purchase the hardcover because the illustrations are an important part of the story.

My 4th graders love this!

The paintings and story in this book are haunting. A wonderful book for children, their parents, and for anyone with an appreciation of boats, sailing, and wonder.

Great illustration. Good for imaginative peeps n kids

When you step inside a boat, you are on an adventure off land and into a different world. The life out on the water can bring you to many great places and make great discoveries. Some of them are seeing a large sight of fish in the sea, the great scenery of the outside and finding adventure with many twists and turns. In this particular Chris Van Allsburg book, readers will find the remains of a ship and find out how it was brought that way.The narrator tells of how while visiting a village and finds the wreck of a sailboat near the sea and sees an old man in there smoking a pipe. The old man then tells him of how the boat was brought to shore and how it was created. His story begins with a boy years ago who was a true natural at sailing a boat in the harbor than anyone else. He even owns his own sailboat which he named the Zephyr. One day, the boy is warned by a fisherman not to sail due to a severe strong wind, but he ignores the man and sets sail. He unfortunately struggles to control the Zephyr and hangs on for his life. After that, he wakes up on shore with his sailboat next to him and goes to find help up a hill. He then sees an shocking sight, which is three sailboats in the air and meets a sailor who might help him find a way back home.I was truly satisfied once again with the work of. Chris Van Allsburg, thanks to "Zephyr". The story manages to be both mysterious and whimsical like Allsburg's other unforgettable classics, "Jumanji", "Abdul Gasazi" and "The Polar Express". What I like most about his books is the art, and in the book, I loved the illustrations of the boats and the sea. Readers will enjoy this book like all of his other books and will love the art and the mysterious tale of the Zephyr and might have them find their own tale of the sea one day.