With the heat wave going on, I decided I wanted to get a movie that would make me feel a little cooler while I was at work yesterday. I picked up The Polar Express, which is based on the beautiful picture book by Chris Van Allsburg. He also wrote the picture book the movie Jumanji was based on.

This book has always held a special place in the hearts of Rhode Island librarians because Chris is a Rhode Islander. He and his wife live in Providence, the capital, and are really strong supporters of literacy and libraries. They helped found the Rhode Island Festival for the Book.

In fact, there is so much excitement around the book that there is a train run through the Blackstone Valley that allows for a readaloud of the book to help ring in the holiday season every December.

Like the book, which won the Caldecott Award in 1986, the movie centers around a young man who is losing his ability to believe in those special things we all believe as children, particularly around the holiday season. While asleep one night shortly before Christmas Eve, he is awakened by the sound of an approaching train. It turns out to be the Polar Express, which whisks him, among a number of other children, to the North Pole to see Santa Claus off on his important annual trip. Along the way, he learns about really believing in something.

The story is beautifully presented with computer animation that does a wonderful job of bringing Van Allsburg's story and illustration to life. Tom Hanks is probably the most famous performer in the movie, but it is well cast to present the tale while also having a wonderful supporting soundtrack, which is capped off with Josh Groban's "Believe." I have included the following video of that song so you can get a look at the animation and hear the song:

This one is definitely worth it!