Please Note: This event has been rescheduled to Sunday, August 28 at 2pm. Ticket buyers have been notified via email. If you need assistance, please contact our B2W Box Office at 603.436.2400.

Join The Music Hall and Portsmouth Historical Society for a special conversation with Caldecott Medalist and bestselling author of Jumanji and The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg! As part of the Imagine That! exhibition. 

Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature. In 1982, Jumanji was nominated for a National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg is a former instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Imagine That! The Power of Picture Books

Portsmouth Historical Society is a proud partner for this event, having assembled a collection of extraordinary illustrations for children’s picture books by a “who’s who” of New England illustrators, from Maxfield Parrish and N.C. Wyeth, to Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Ducklings), Barbara Cooney (Ox-Cart Man), Dr. Seuss and Hans and Margret Rey (Curious George); to contemporary artists Chris Van Allsburg, Mo Willems, Grace Lin, Tomie dePaola, and Beth Krommes. Over 100 illustrations, including reflections on diversity and inclusion, let children and adults explore the imaginative world of picture books and reading together. Accompanying the exhibition are creative reading, craft and play areas, and an impressive “Journey Box” initiative that takes picture books, reading, and book-making to local schools, libraries, and underserved families. More info: www.portsmouthhistory.org/imaginethat