The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

“Six times Miss Hester’s dog Fritz had bitten dear cousin Eunice. So when Miss Hester received an invitation to visit Eunice she was not surprised to read ‘P.S., Please leave your dog home…’ ”

A 1980 Caldecott Honor Book

Sometimes that very thin line between illusion and reality is not as clearly defined as we would like it to be. It certainly wasn’t the day that Alan Mitz stumbled into the garden of Abdul Gasazi. For in this bizarre and eerie place—where strange topiary trees loomed—the evil visage of Gasazi casts its shadow. And even after Alan escaped, the spell of Gasazi still seemed to penetrate into his everyday world.

In this extraordinary, unusual, and unique picture book, Chris Van Allsburg explores both the real and surreal worlds with incredible deftness. In doing so, he has created exquisite and beautiful images that will continue to haunt readers long after they have left the enchanted garden of Abdul Gasazi.

Chris Van Allsburg (1949-) is an American illustrator and author born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, among other awards, for ‘Jumanji’ (1981) and ‘The Polar Express’ (1985), both of which he also wrote. These two books were later adapted as successful motion pictures.