The Wreck of the Zephyr by Chris Van Allsburg

Like most Van Allsburg books the rich, detailed illustrations drew me to this book immediately. Some of Van Allsburg's best illustrations can be found in The Wreck of the Zephyr. Specifically, his paintings of landscapes scenes such as the beach and the sea are extremely well done. The story is about a boy who is a sailor and his boat the Zephyr. The boy believes himself to be a great sailor, and one night risks sailing in dangerous conditions. The boy is knocked out and stranded on a beach he has never seen or heard of before. Like most of Van Allsburg's books, The Wreck of the Zephyr has a very mysterious and strange vibe to it. Also, this book in particular has an extremely surreal feeling to it. For example, there is one scene where the boy witnesses boats sailing above the water. The ending is typical of a Van Allsburg book: the reader is left wondering and encouraged to draw his or her own conclusion. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. This is definetely one of my favorite books by Chris Van Allsburg.