Rating: 
Summary: Better Read the Directions!
Review: At long last, 20 years after Jumanji, Chris Van Allsburg's new picture book, the sequel, Zathura, picks up where we left off, with Walter and Danny Budwing opening the long thin mysterious game box containing the amazing and dangerous game called Jumanji. Much to our surprise the box contains more than just the Jumanji game. Danny and Walter are the kind of kids who don't finish their puzzles and don't read the directions before starting a new game. Just like its predecessor, Zathura takes us on a wild ride at break-neck speed and the boys are just one step away from disaster in every second of this suspenseful tale. Van Allsburg's artwork is his characteristic black and white, surreal, humourous and detailed wizardry. The action is edge-of-the-seat and sure to thrill young readers and story listeners in equal measure with Jumanji's jungle adventure as the brothers try to come to terms with the alien environment of the purple planet Zathura. Don't miss this one. It's out of this world!
Rating: 
Summary: Love Van Allsburg, Hate this Book!!
Review: I am a huge fan of Chris Van Allsburg, and when I saw that he had writtin a new book, I couldn't wait to get to a library or bookstore and check it out. But this book definetly does not live up to his other books in my opinion. The story was weak, and even the drawings, which are sometimes the highlight of his other books, were dissapointing in Zathura. Perhaps on its own it would be a good book, but I expected much better from Van Allsburg. I do not recommend this book, but don't let this discourage you from checking out his other wonderfully written and beautifully illustarted books.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice sequel, too abrupt ending
Review: I'm a huge fan of Chris Van Allsburg's stories, and illustrations. As a child, my mother would read me Jumanji fairly often, so I bought it after watching the movie with my kids. When purchasing Jumanji, I saw that Van Allsburg had written this sequel - Zathura, and had to buy it too, although I was unsure how he could make another unique story from the same idea. I shouldn't have doubted.Finding an alternate game inside the Jumanji box, Danny and Walter Budwing are sucked into a space adventure and have to work together, which is against their nature at the beginning of the book, to get back home. While the story is nice, it ends too abruptly, and could have easily been written into a better, longer, story, which I'm sure my kids would still sit through with rapt attention. If you like Jumanji, and always wondered what happened to Danny and Walter, then I would recommend this book, even though it's not Van Allsburg's best work.
Rating: 
Summary: Zathura for ms voorhees book reports assignment
Review: In the book zathura, you are introduced into a common brotherly scene, the older brother picking on the younger brother, the parents leave them to go have dinner with some friends, who happen to be the parents of the children in the book jumanji, another chris van alsburg book. (this book is the sequel to jumanji, you see) The boys later stumble across the accursed game jumanji, take it home, and discover there is not one game in the box, but two. The younger boy foolishly starts a game, then they must play through it. They learn to love each other through these experiences and have a much stronger brotherly bond. I really enjoyed this book, because it was the sequel to Jumanji, and it was really interesting to see what happens to that game, and the poor souls, trapped into playing it. This book is very well illustrated like all chris van alsburg books, and is very enjoyable. Its not as exciting as the book jumanji, but still has its fair share of action. Younger readers will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not a rip-off of Jumanji... it's a sequel
Review: Introduced to van Allsburg's work while in design school, I immediately fell in love with his drawing style and unique perspective. I often buy his books as much for the drawings as for the story. Unfortunately, this book falls WAYshort. The drawings are painfully out of perspective - lines don't go to a common horizon line, the younger brother's head is grossly distorted, sometimes hands just don't make sense.
As for the story, this book lacks the real adventure, wonder and excitement of Jumanji. The couple of space creatures are bumbling and not a real threat. There are no great scenes like monkeys in the kitchen or rhinos charging through. My advice is to save your money. If this wasn't a gift, I would return it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing what Chris Van Allsburg can do with a #2 pencil
Review: Okay, maybe it is not a #2 pencil. For all I know a professional artist uses a #1 pencil or something special that they only sell at professional art stores. What matters is that Chris Van Allsburg is a wizard with whatever pencil he uses and that I often get distracted in reading his stories because what I really want to do is study the details and the shadings in his artwork because there are always wonderful things to find in each and every drawing. For those who remember the last page of the Caldecott Medal-winning book "Jumanji," young Danny Budwig was running home with a game tucked under his arm. Now it is twenty years later and we finally get to find out what happens when Danny and his brother Walter open the box and role the dice. It seems that inside the game there was another game called "Zathura" and instead of the jungles this time the Budwig brothers have to deal with the Final Frontier and the next thing you know there is a spaceship outside the window, a robot intent on destroying alien life forms (what we would call human beings), and the scaly tail and lizard-like legs of a space pirate climbing down through a hole in the ceiling. The story of "Zathura" has some interesting moments, but as always the chief attraction here are the stunning drawings. Outside of the boxes containing the text I wonder what is the largest area of white he has ever left on a page; there might be a couple of white areas that are almost a square inch on the last drawing. Otherwise Van Allsburg seems intent on finding something to do with his pencil on every square inch. In this picture book the part that just blew me away were the reflections of the candlestick on the wood floor (which you might not notice because changes in gravity are doing strange things to the shape of Danny's body).
Rating:
Summary: Amazing what Chris Van Allsburg can do with a #2 pencil
Review: Okay, maybe it is not a #2 pencil. For all I know a professional artist uses a #1 pencil or something special that they only sell at professional art stores. What matters is that Chris Van Allsburg is a wizard with whatever pencil he uses and that I often get distracted in reading his stories because what I really want to do is study the details and the shadings in his artwork because there are always wonderful things to find in each and every drawing. For those who remember the last page of the Caldecott Medal-winning book "Jumanji," young Danny Budwig was running home with a game tucked under his arm. Now it is twenty years later and we finally get to find out what happens when Danny and his brother Walter open the box and role the dice. It seems that inside the game there was another game called "Zathura" and instead of the jungles this time the Budwig brothers have to deal with the Final Frontier and the next thing you know there is a spaceship outside the window, a robot intent on destroying alien life forms (what we would call human beings), and the scaly tail and lizard-like legs of a space pirate climbing down through a hole in the ceiling. The story of "Zathura" has some interesting moments, but as always the chief attraction here are the stunning drawings. Outside of the boxes containing the text I wonder what is the largest area of white he has ever left on a page; there might be a couple of white areas that are almost a square inch on the last drawing. Otherwise Van Allsburg seems intent on finding something to do with his pencil on every square inch. In this picture book the part that just blew me away were the reflections of the candlestick on the wood floor (which you might not notice because changes in gravity are doing strange things to the shape of Danny's body).
Rating:
Summary: Lost in Space.....
Review: On the last page of award winning author and illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg's classic, Jumanji, Danny and Walter Budwing are seen running home from the park carrying a board game. Readers are left wondering what will happen to them. Will they play the game? Well, after twenty years Mr Van Allsburg finally answers that question with his latest picture book, Zathura. Danny opens the box and finds not just the Jumanji board, but another game board at the bottom of the box. "It showed flying saucers, rockets, and planets in outer space with a path of colored squares leading from Earth to a purple planet called Zathura and back to Earth. Danny put a token on Earth, then rolled the dice..." Sound familiar? Unfortunately, that's the problem with this book. There's nothing really new here. Mr Van Allsburg has transplanted his story from the jungle to outer space. His text is a bit flat and lacks drama and excitement. It's the intricate and marvelously detailed, black and white artwork that dazzles and makes this book worth a look, and youngsters will want to linger and explore each intriguing illustration before turning the page. Perfect for kids 4-8, Zathura works better as a stand alone for those who haven't read Jumanji, than as a sequel, and many Jumanji fans looking for a new and entertaining adventure, may be disappointed by the rehash of the original.
Rating:
Summary: Lost in Space.....
Review: On the last page of award winning author and illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg's classic, Jumanji, Danny and Walter Budwing are seen running home from the park carrying a board game. Readers are left wondering what will happen to them. Will they play the game? Well, after twenty years Mr Van Allsburg finally answers that question with his latest picture book, Zathura. Danny opens the box and finds not just the Jumanji board, but another game board at the bottom of the box. "It showed flying saucers, rockets, and planets in outer space with a path of colored squares leading from Earth to a purple planet called Zathura and back to Earth. Danny put a token on Earth, then rolled the dice..." Sound familiar? Unfortunately, that's the problem with this book. There's nothing really new here. Mr Van Allsburg has transplanted his story from the jungle to outer space. His text is a bit flat and lacks drama and excitement. It's the intricate and marvelously detailed, black and white artwork that dazzles and makes this book worth a look, and youngsters will want to linger and explore each intriguing illustration before turning the page. Perfect for kids 4-8, Zathura works better as a stand alone for those who haven't read Jumanji, than as a sequel, and many Jumanji fans looking for a new and entertaining adventure, may be disappointed by the rehash of the original.
Rating:
Summary: Children's Hack Writing
Review: Please, if I can do one good deed in this life it will be to discourage people into buying this book. This was a terrible reading experience for me and my two bored boys. The book looked like it might be cool. The art is original and detailed although I was struck by the general ugly nature of it on closer inspection. It is very clumsily written and repetitive. What a dud! Two Thumbs Down! If you want some classic books on magic for your wee ones check out Edward Eager and E. Nesbit...some of the besst children's authors ever.
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