“The Mysteries of Harris Burdick” by Chris Van Allsburg

Is Harris Burdick real? Or another fantastical creation from the fertile mind of Van Allsburg? We may never know. The author/illustrator who created “Jumanji” now brings us an intriguing collection of fourteen images, and a bit of a tall tale. Thirty years ago, a man named Harris Burdick supposedly walked into the office of a publisher friend of Van Allsburg. He left the fourteen sketches, along with their titles and opening lines. Saying he had the accompanying stories at home, he promised to return the next day. He never came back. The publisher tried in vain to find him, and Van Allsburg, upon seeing the pictures, felt inspired to recreate them and publish the lot. The images are nothing if not intriguing, and any writer worth their salt would want to have this book as a writing prompt. Fanciful story or reality, this book is a treasure.