KEYNOTE: From the Author of Jumanji and The Polar Express On a terrifically rainy day, Ben has a dream in which he and his house float by the monuments of the world, half submerged in flood-water. AUTHOR 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 won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film Ages 5-8