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267th out of 2,254 books
—
3,517 voters
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Fourteen black-and-white drawings, each accompanied by a title and a caption, entice readers to make up his or her own story. A fictional editor's note tells of an encounter with an author and illustrator named Harris Burdick, who provided the images and captions as samples, each from a different picture book he had written. He left with a promise to deliver the complete m
...moreUnknown Binding, 16 pages
Published
October 28th 1996
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
(first published 1984)
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The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
The brilliance of anything someone recommends is that there is the slim chance you might just have that little connection when you both love it as much as one another. It’s something that is surprisingly rare but when it happens, it’s a joy. Not only do you get the experience of the recommended item but also the shared connection. When this happens with a book it is all the more rewarding for all the reasons that lead us as adults to love book...more
The brilliance of anything someone recommends is that there is the slim chance you might just have that little connection when you both love it as much as one another. It’s something that is surprisingly rare but when it happens, it’s a joy. Not only do you get the experience of the recommended item but also the shared connection. When this happens with a book it is all the more rewarding for all the reasons that lead us as adults to love book...more
I love the concept and the background story to this book, it is a reflection of Van Allsburg's genius once more. However, I feel that this book will either be a hit or a miss with readers. I feel that kids would enjoy this book because they like mysteries; the disappearance of Harris Burdick is nothing short of a mystery. Readers who enjoy using their imaginations will also love trying to invent stories to go along with each page; it is almost a childhood instinct to see a vague statement and a...more
Sep 20, 2012
Peyton Badger
added it
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg is very different. It is a collection of pictures with a title and caption. The pictures are all black and white and feature different scene. One scene depicts children skipping a rock with the caption saying that the rock they were skipping came back to them. Each picture is capable of each having their own story. Another picture is of a basement with a tiny door. The caption mentions how someone thought they saw the door knob move. Another...more
Jennica Munden
Picture Books
Critical analysis: This is a collection of images produced by a mysterious man named Harris Burdick. Mr. Wenders, though he is retired now, once worked for a children’s book publisher. About 30 years ago, Mr. Burdick came to Mr. Wenders office to offer 14 written stories for which he had drawn many pictures for, and had brought one for each story to see if Mr. Wenders liked them. Mr. Wenders did like them, and requested to see the stories as soon as possible. However,...more
Picture Books
Critical analysis: This is a collection of images produced by a mysterious man named Harris Burdick. Mr. Wenders, though he is retired now, once worked for a children’s book publisher. About 30 years ago, Mr. Burdick came to Mr. Wenders office to offer 14 written stories for which he had drawn many pictures for, and had brought one for each story to see if Mr. Wenders liked them. Mr. Wenders did like them, and requested to see the stories as soon as possible. However,...more
While I don't normally play the superlative game, this is probably my favorite Chris Van Allsburg book.
The premise of this is that Harris Burdick dropped off 14 drawings to a children's book publisher back in the 1950s. Each had a title and a caption. Burdick promised to return with the stories that accompanied each drawing. He never returned.
So what we are left with are 14 highly interesting illustrations with captions that act as story starters. I used to have each image in poster size for my...more
The premise of this is that Harris Burdick dropped off 14 drawings to a children's book publisher back in the 1950s. Each had a title and a caption. Burdick promised to return with the stories that accompanied each drawing. He never returned.
So what we are left with are 14 highly interesting illustrations with captions that act as story starters. I used to have each image in poster size for my...more
Picking up this book, I was drawn in by the mysteriousness of it all. Is the introduction about the author and illustrator, Harris Burdick, true or was it created to set the mood of the book? It is up to the reader to decide what they believe. I choose to believe the story of Burdick is true because I think it gives the illustrations a deeper and more mysterious meaning. It makes you wonder: what really were his stories behind these illustrations? Each of the dark and ominous fourteen illustrati...more
I am unbelievably intrigued by this book and the mystery behind it. The book is completely made up of black and white photos with only a sentence of information. The photos are nothing you would see in everyday life. They include images to encourage creative thinking, and I can't wait to use this book for writing prompts in my creative writing workshops. You MUST get your hands on it!
For example, one of the photos includes a room with a window open and the curtain blowing in the breeze. The wall...more
For example, one of the photos includes a room with a window open and the curtain blowing in the breeze. The wall...more
Part of literature unit:
This beautifully illustrated nearly wordless book is a perfect addition to a unit on mystery. Beginning with the introduction of how the pictures were obtained from the mysterious Mr. Burdick to the title and only excerpt from each accompanying story for each of the fourteen illustrations, this book has been an inspiration to many authors young and old. Chris Van Allsburg magically captures the reader’s attention with his detailed images in gray, black and white. Each ima...more
This beautifully illustrated nearly wordless book is a perfect addition to a unit on mystery. Beginning with the introduction of how the pictures were obtained from the mysterious Mr. Burdick to the title and only excerpt from each accompanying story for each of the fourteen illustrations, this book has been an inspiration to many authors young and old. Chris Van Allsburg magically captures the reader’s attention with his detailed images in gray, black and white. Each ima...more
This is one of the most fascinating, imaginative, unique, and mysterious children's books that I have ever read. I loved it! The concept is so creative, and it leaves the reader so free to use his/her own imagination.
Each page has an illustration with a title and a caption. Each illustration is from a different story, but we never learn what the stories are. It is impossible to read this book and not think about what those stories could be. This would be a very fun book for bedtime stories.
Also,...more
Each page has an illustration with a title and a caption. Each illustration is from a different story, but we never learn what the stories are. It is impossible to read this book and not think about what those stories could be. This would be a very fun book for bedtime stories.
Also,...more
The first time I read this picture book, I believed the story in the introduction of the book. The second time I read it, I changed my mind. It is an intriguing picture book because it offers just a title and a caption for each of the illustrations. As the title of this book reads each illustration is a mystery created by a man named Harris Burdick or Christ Van Allsburg. The idea how Allsburg crafted the book is quite original.
I actually had seen two of these drawings before, but I did not know...more
I actually had seen two of these drawings before, but I did not know...more
Jan 03, 2010
Emily
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teachers
Shelves:
for-teachers,
great-read-alouds
This collection of pictures is part of the intriguing mystery of a real man named Harris Burdick. A book editor was visited by a man named Harris Burdick who wanted to pitch his book ideas for the children's picture books that he had written and illustrated. He brought with him one picture from each book with a title and a caption . The editor was very interested in the man's work and asked him to come back the next day and bring his entire works. He agreed and left his drawings with the editor....more
This book is the most interesting picture book I have ever read. Each page has a different untold story. In every black and white picture there is a hidden message, supernatural element, and an overwhelming feeling of curiosity. As soon as I read the introduction about how Van Allsburg obtained these drawings with working titles/captions I was intrigued. At the end I had to go back a look through them again because I knew I missed something out of each. The dove coming off the wall, the hiker in...more
One of my favorite picture books of all time. So many ideas for using in the classroom/for use as writing prompts.
ETA: I just saw the new version of this book at Powell's, wherein many beloved children's authors tell their own tales behind the mysterious images of Van Allsburg's. I didn't know this book existed until then, and I have to say I pretty much hate the whole idea of it, no matter how much I love most of the authors that are included. I'm sure many of the stories are really wonderful s...more
ETA: I just saw the new version of this book at Powell's, wherein many beloved children's authors tell their own tales behind the mysterious images of Van Allsburg's. I didn't know this book existed until then, and I have to say I pretty much hate the whole idea of it, no matter how much I love most of the authors that are included. I'm sure many of the stories are really wonderful s...more
Each year at my school we host a visiting author. As a part of that author visit, teachers create workshops that focus on different aspects of writing. Over the years, I've tried a variety of workshops -- none of them particularly interesting or well attended. This year, I decided to try something new!
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg is a truly unique book. The preface to the story is that the drawings that followed were a part of a book that was lost. Unfortunately, no one...more
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg is a truly unique book. The preface to the story is that the drawings that followed were a part of a book that was lost. Unfortunately, no one...more
1 like · like · see review
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Val Allsburg is quite a mystery indeed. Chris stumbled on Harris Burdick through a friend named Peter Wenders. Burdick called upon Wenders to publish stories he had written, along with pictures that he had drawn for each story. Wenders asked Burdick to bring in the stories the next day, but he never returned and was never heard from again. Who was Harris Burdick? Van Allsburg published this book in honor of Burdick. The snippets of text from each story al...more
Once upon a time, a man named Harris Burdick walked into a publisher's office with fourteen drawings from fourteen children's books he had written. When the publisher asked for the stories, the man was never seen again. At least that's Chris Van Allsburg wants you to believe. What follows this introductory story are fourteen black and white illustrations which delicately blend a strong sense of realism with some fantastic element. Each picture is accompanied by a title and caption, heightening t...more
14 illustrations. 14 captions. A picture book, then? Yes, but each scene is a loaded gun and you are the trigger.
It's introduction is somewhat apocryphal: the author is not the actual author but merely a messenger of sorts. Chris Van Allsburg discovered the set of drawings whilst visiting the home of Peter Wenders. Thirty years ago (as of 1984), these drawings were presented to Peter Wenders by a man named Harris Burdick with the intent of publishing 14 stories for a children's book. Harris Bur...more
It's introduction is somewhat apocryphal: the author is not the actual author but merely a messenger of sorts. Chris Van Allsburg discovered the set of drawings whilst visiting the home of Peter Wenders. Thirty years ago (as of 1984), these drawings were presented to Peter Wenders by a man named Harris Burdick with the intent of publishing 14 stories for a children's book. Harris Bur...more
This a story mostly told with the pictures. Each illustrations is somewhat related it but it is up to the reader to specifically use their imagination and broaden the story. I love that the pictures are in black and white but I think if it was in color it could have brought more imagination to the pages. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of how different it is. Another reason this book is mostly told through pictures is because of how little words there are. Each spread is titled with a capt...more
This is probably one of the most interesting books I've ever read. At first I skipped past the introduction but by the time I got to page three I knew it was probably necessary. And it was. The mystery of the pictures allowed you to think of your own stories that went along with them in your head. Some looked really scary and some simply beautiful, such as A Strange Day In July. In this book the pictures are essential. I'm pretty sure nobody would understand it without them nor be able to imagin...more
This was a portrait book. The strict black and white suggests a dark, distant feel. The left pages were usually white and the right sides included black and white drawings. The drawings in this storybook are so realistic and original. This book in particular is very unique, not like one I’ve read before. It holds that imaginative, mysterious feel to it. Each illustration is done on only black and white but I feel like I can stare at each one for hours because of the realness they hold. The capti...more
I found this book to be extremely interesting and one of my favorites. Harris Burdick was an author and illustrator who went to a publisher named Peter Wenders with fourteen pictures with titles and a short caption. The pictures were phenomenal and Burdick said he had written stories to go with them. After promising Wenders he would return, he was never seen again. This book is a collection of these pictures with their titles and captions. I found the pictures so interesting and with each one my...more
Sep 20, 2012
Barbara
added it
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick I find so interesting. This book only includes pictures with titles, and a portion of a story that was written by Burdick. Finding out that he was going to get his stories published and then he just disappeared intrigued me. Why did he suddenly disappear? This is a great tool to use in the classroom to have children use there creative ideas to finish each story. They can come up with ideas of the stories and what happened to Burdick himself. I think this can be us...more
I remember that i first hear about Chris Van Allsburg went i was in the 4th grade. He was/is my teachers favorite author. I remember she use to read his books to us. This book was one of my favorites, not only because of the very creative and incredible illustration, but because went i first saw them, they made my mind wonder what were the stories that went along with this wonderful images??
Now that i have once again decided to take another look at this book, i have set a goal for my self. I wil...more
Now that i have once again decided to take another look at this book, i have set a goal for my self. I wil...more
Wow, this book was awesome to read. When I first looked at the cover I thought it was going to be a boring read but I was wrong. This book was filled with mystery and it made me a little frightened. It was not an ordinary kids book that had talking animals but one that was more realistic and can possibly happen to people. Although the pictures were in black and white and not in the usual colors, they were beautifully illustrated. There was a lot of detail in every picture and caught your every a...more
This is a picture book but it's a powerful one and great for writing starters/firing the imagination.
The premise is that years ago Harris Burdick went to see a children's book publisher, dropped off the pictures with a caption each to see if the publisher liked them and promised to bring the stories that went with them the next morning. He never returned and attempts to find him, failed.
The art work is stunning, black and white, and over a range of subjects. One is of a man holding a chair rea...more
The premise is that years ago Harris Burdick went to see a children's book publisher, dropped off the pictures with a caption each to see if the publisher liked them and promised to bring the stories that went with them the next morning. He never returned and attempts to find him, failed.
The art work is stunning, black and white, and over a range of subjects. One is of a man holding a chair rea...more
This gem of a book has no long sentences, characters, or even a plot. The only story is within the mind of the reader. I use this book for fiction story starters with my middle school students. As for the book itself it is made up of black and white drawings with a title and a simple sentence underneath. Some images are scary, some are mysterious, some are rather nostalgic. In one image, a nun is flying in a chair through midair in a gothic cathedral. The sentence underneath: "The fifth one ende...more
"The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" by Chris Van Allsburg was very interesting to read. The illustrations are amazing like his other books. He used dark colors in this book like shades of black, gray, and white and the images where on the right side with details that will bring in the readers attention and wonder. Titles and caption for each image with borders, giving clues but never telling what the actual story might be so it makes you think, like how can you go to the next page if you don't kno...more
Aug 24, 2009
Kathryn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kathryn by:
Q--thank you!
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books
Beautifully illustrative and wonderfully imaginative, not only in the execution but in the way it will inspire readers to think of "the rest of the story." Each illustration is accompanied by just a few words of text--they are supposedly taken from manuscripts by "Harris Burdick" and are only one piece to the whole story... so it is left to the readers to imagine the rest. Almost like visual "story starters." The illustrations contain a variety of themes, from mysteries to joys to sorrows to mys...more
4 likes · like · see review
This is to books as the ungame is to games. It's not merely a different take on the medium, it rejects the medium outright and becomes something else.
Theoretically, a book has an author, a plot, characters, an ending. In the case of these Mysteries, you are the author. The plot is both numinously vague and personal to you, like religion. The characters are present in the softly shaded black and white illustrations, but their motivations, backstories, and personalities are yours to fabricate. The...more
Theoretically, a book has an author, a plot, characters, an ending. In the case of these Mysteries, you are the author. The plot is both numinously vague and personal to you, like religion. The characters are present in the softly shaded black and white illustrations, but their motivations, backstories, and personalities are yours to fabricate. The...more
The description of this book says that the author, Van Allsburg, was given fourteen drawings by a man that were each from a story the man had written. Before Van Allsburg could get a hold of the actual written part of the stories, the man had disappeared. So Van Allsburg compiled all the pictures into one book so that his readers could come up with a story for the picture on their own; they must solve the mystery themselves.
I have never seen another book like this one. This book is really inter...more
I have never seen another book like this one. This book is really inter...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Van Allsburg: 2 | 1 | 9 | Feb 20, 2012 07:25pm |
Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.
Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the ot...more
More about Chris Van Allsburg...
Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the ot...more
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Nov 26, 2011 10:55pm