Zathura

Zathura is a 2002 illustrated children's book by the American author Chris Van Allsburg. In the story, two boys are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is magically hurled through space. The book is a standalone spinoff to the 1981 children's picture book Jumanji, also by Van Allsburg, and visual and textual references are made to Jumanji in the story. The book was adapted into a film, titled Zathura: A Space Adventure, in 2005.

This article is about the children's book. For the film, see Zathura: A Space Adventure. For other uses, see Zathura (disambiguation).
Zathura
AuthorChris Van Allsburg
IllustratorChris Van Allsburg
Cover artistChris Van Allsburg
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's literature, science fiction
Published2002 (Houghton Mifflin)
Pages32
ISBN978-0-618-25396-8
OCLC49031916
LC ClassPZ7.V266 Zat 2002
Preceded byBad Day at Riverbend 
Followed byProbuditi! 

Plot

Zathura starts from the end of the book Jumanji, as the parents of two brothers, Danny and Walter Budwing, are leaving. The two brothers don't get along with each other. Danny wants to play catch, while Walter wants to watch television. Danny tosses Walter a baseball which hits him on the head. Walter then chases Danny through the house and catches him in the park across the street from their house, where they find a board game named Jumanji. Danny brings the game home, where he then loses interest in playing it.

Underneath the Jumanji board, Danny finds another game called Zathura: A Space Adventure. Danny starts playing Zathura, then he gets a card that says, "Meteor shower, take evasive action." Immediately, a meteor shower occurs. Danny and Walter soon realize the game sent them into outer space. The brothers start playing the game Zathura, since the game won't take them home unless they finish it. Soon, Walter loses his gravity and Danny saves him from disappearing into space.

When Walter takes his turn, a defective robot chases him through the house. When Danny takes his turn, he gets close to a planet called Tsouris 3 and gets shorter and wider. Soon, a Zorgon ship appears and Zorgons board their house. The robot chases the Zorgons away as Walter takes his turn and gets sucked into a black hole and is sent back in time. Walter transports back to when he was with Danny in the park. Danny finds Jumanji and is about to take it home, but Walter throws it out and instead offers to play catch with Danny. Evidently, having gone through these dangerous adventures and helping each other has brought the two brothers closer to each other.

Reception

Publishers Weekly said the book was a "satisfying enigma" like its predecessor.[1] Booklist said readers of Jumanji would also like Zathura.[2] Alternatively, The Horn Book Magazine said the book did not work as a sequel to Jumanji but worked as part of a series.[3]

Film adaptation

A film adaptation of the book titled Zathura: A Space Adventure was made in 2005, directed by Jon Favreau. It received positive reviews from critics but was not a commercial success.[4][5] [6]

See also

References
  1. "Zathura: A Space Adventure. (Picture Books)". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 249 no. 25. 24 June 2002. p. 54. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  2. Engberg, Gillian (15 November 2002). "Van Allsburg, Chris. Zathura". Booklist. Vol. 99 no. 6. p. 603.
  3. Carter, Betty (November–December 2002). "Chris Van Allsburg Zathura: a Space Adventure". The Horn Book Magazine. Vol. 78 no. 6. p. 741+.
  4. "Zathura (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  5. "Zathura: A Space Adventure Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 11, 2020. Generally favorable reviews
  6. "Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)". Box Office Mojo.
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