More Pictures With Stories to Tell

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

This is a fascinating and unusual book compiled by Chris Van Allsburg. He first saw these drawings in the home of a man named Peter Wenders.

Many years earlier a man called Harris Burdick stopped by the office of Mr. Wenders who then worked for a publisher of children's books. His job was choosing stories and pictures to be made into books. Burdick brought one drawing from each of fourteen stories he had written. Wenders told Burdick he wanted to see the rest of his work as soon as possible. Promising to bring the stories in the next day, Burdick left; never to be seen again...

A Strange Day in July

He threw with all his might,
but the third stone came skipping back...

Mr. Linden's Library

He had warned her about the book...

Captain Tory

He swung his lantern three times
and slowly the schooner appeared...

Oscar and Alphons

She knew it was time to send them back.
The caterpillars wiggled softly in her
hand spelling out goodbye...

Missing in Venice

Even with the mighty engines in reverse,
the ocean liner was pulled further
and further into the canal...

Uninvited Guests

His heart was pounding.
He was sure he had seen the doorknob turn...

The House on Maple Street

It was a perfect lift-off...

The Seven Chairs

The fifth one ended up in France...

The Third-Floor Bedroom

It all began when someone left the window open...

Under the Rug

Two weeks passed and it happened again...

Archie Smith, Boy Wonder

A tiny voice asked, "Is he the one..."

Another Place, Another Time

If there was another answer, he'd find it there...

The Harp

So, it's true he thought. It's really true...

Just Desert

She lowered the knife and it grew even brighter...

Missing in Venice

This time she'd gone too far...

What.s that you say, your counted 15 pictures, not 14. That is another Mystery of Harris Burdick. Check out the book to solve this last mystery, then choose a picture and write on...