Buy new:
Save with Used - Acceptable

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
-
-
-
2 VIDEOS
-
Follow the authors
OK
The Stranger Hardcover – Picture Book, October 28, 1986
Purchase options and add-ons
The enigmatic origins of the stranger that Farmer Bailey hits with his truck and brings home to recuperate seem to have a mysterious relation to the weather. Could he be Jack Frost?
- Reading age5 - 10 years, from customers
- Print length32 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade levelPreschool - 3
- Lexile measure640L
- Dimensions10.62 x 0.38 x 9 inches
- PublisherClarion Books
- Publication dateOctober 28, 1986
- ISBN-100395423317
- ISBN-13978-0395423318
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together

Frequently purchased items with fast delivery
From the Publisher

![]()
The Polar Express
|
![]()
Jumanji
|
![]()
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
|
![]()
Garden of Abdul Gasazi
|
![]()
Zathura
|
![]()
The Widow's Broom
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.9 out of 5 stars 20,034
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 1,416
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 994
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 293
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 351
|
4.9 out of 5 stars 485
|
Price | $21.48$21.48 | $11.59$11.59 | $13.58$13.58 | $11.73$11.73 | $11.17$11.17 | $8.52$8.52 |
Get immersed in the worlds of Chris Van Allsburg | In this holiday classic, the Polar Express makes its way to the huge city standing alone at the top of the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish. | This story about a game that comes startlingly to life is a family favorite that inspires imagination and explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality. | When Harris Burdick goes missing, all he’s left behind are a series of drawings with captions. Enticed to come up with their own endings, readers will marvel at the mystery behind these lasting drawings and the charm of an ever changing narrative. | The very thin line between illusion and reality was blurred the day Alan Mitz stumbled into the garden of Abdul Gasazi. Even after Alan escapes, the spell of Gasazi still seems to penetrate into his everyday world. | A companion to the Caldecott Medal–winning Jumanji—this is a tale of intergalactic adventure and sibling rivalry where a roll of the dice transports two brothers to the mythical land of Zathura. | The enchanting story of a widow who finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom after a witch falls into her garden. |
![]()
The Queen of the Falls
|
![]()
The Stranger
|
![]()
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
|
![]()
The Sweetest Fig
|
![]()
Bad Day at Riverbend
|
![]()
The Wreck of the Zephyr
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars 151
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 452
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 413
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 331
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 75
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 257
|
Price | $15.19$15.19 | $9.80$9.80 | $14.64$14.64 | $11.49$11.49 | $14.66$14.66 | $11.29$11.29 |
Get immersed in the worlds of Chris Van Allsburg | At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired charm school instructor seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before—she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. | The enigmatic origins of the stranger that Farmer Bailey hits with his truck and brings home to recuperate seem to have a mysterious relation to the weather. Could he be Jack Frost? | This inspired collection of short stories inspired by The Mysteries of Harris Burdick features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children's literature. | Monsieur Bibot was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. He eats one fig and realizes it makes his dream come true. He is determined to control his dreams before he eats the second fig. | This provocative story within a story leads readers to ponder the realities of fictional worlds and the lives of the characters who populate them. | The story of a boy and his obsession to become the world’s greatest sailor and a storm that carried him to a place where boats sail on the wind, instead of on the water. |
![]()
Two Bad Ants
|
![]()
The Z was Zapped
|
![]()
The Wretched Stone
|
![]()
Ben's Dream
|
![]()
Just a Dream
|
![]()
The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.9 out of 5 stars 603
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 170
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 204
|
4.7 out of 5 stars 63
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 295
|
4.1 out of 5 stars 68
|
Price | $12.99$12.99 | $16.62$16.62 | $13.47$13.47 | $15.99$15.99 | $15.19$15.19 | $14.67$14.67 |
Get immersed in the worlds of Chris Van Allsburg | The ants are tired of their humdrum life in the same ant hole, so they’re off to the strange new world of a kitchen in search of sugar crystals for their queen. When two ants stay behind and take a nap in the sugar bowl, they are in for a wild ride. | A dramatic black- and- white presentation of the alphabet which depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter. | In a story recounted through the daily log of Captain Allan Hope, the sailors aboard the Rita Anne become mesmerized and transformed by a mysterious glowing rock, and only music and books can restore them to normal. | On a terrifically rainy day, Ben has a dream in which he and his house float by the monuments of the world. | Travel with young Walter on a fantastical adventure as he journeys—by way of his bed—into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to our collective and individual environmental responsibility. | Being a pet store hamster isn’t much fun for Sweetie Pie, but life in human homes proves perilous. As Sweetie Pie gazes out of his cage at the squirrels frolicking in the trees, he wonders if he’ll ever have the chance to feel the wind in his fur. |
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"The author-illustrator has woven a thread of fantasy in and around his realistic illustrations to give the reader, once again, a story that stays in the imagination." Horn Book
"The author-illustrator has woven a thread of fantasy in and around his realistic illustrations to give the reader, once again, a story that stays in the imagination." Horn Book Guide —
About the Author
Chris Van Allsburg is one of America’s most innovative picture book creators. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal for Jumanji and The Polar Express and received a Caldecott Honor for his very first book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. He has received the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature, a National Book Award, and a Society of Illustrators Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Visit him at chrisvanallsburg.com.
Product details
- Publisher : Clarion Books
- Publication date : October 28, 1986
- Edition : Illustrated
- Language : English
- Print length : 32 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0395423317
- ISBN-13 : 978-0395423318
- Item Weight : 1 pounds
- Reading age : 5 - 10 years, from customers
- Dimensions : 10.62 x 0.38 x 9 inches
- Grade level : Preschool - 3
- Lexile measure : 640L
- Best Sellers Rank: #72,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto in 1949 and now lives near Tokyo. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages, and the most recent of his many international honors is the Jerusalem Prize, whose previous recipients include J. M. Coetzee, Milan Kundera, and V. S. Naipaul.
Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.
Customer reviews
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star5 star89%8%3%0%0%89%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star4 star89%8%3%0%0%8%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star3 star89%8%3%0%0%3%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star2 star89%8%3%0%0%0%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star1 star89%8%3%0%0%0%
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this children's book suitable for ages 3-4 up to grandpa age, with exquisite illustrations and an exciting, compelling story. Moreover, they appreciate its effectiveness in teaching inferencing skills, making it a great addition to classroom libraries.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Select to learn more
Customers find the book highly readable, with multiple reviews noting its appeal to children and its suitability for various age groups from 3-4 up to grandpa age.
"Good book!" Read more
"Love this book. Product in great condition." Read more
"Great book!" Read more
"A little enigmatic, a tad haunting, a lot charming. It's one of my fave books to gift to friends who love exploring the natural world...." Read more
Customers enjoy the story of the book, finding it exciting and compelling, with one customer noting it has the right amount of intrigue and information.
"One of my favorite children's authors, fun stories with a surprise at the end - Same author as Polar Express, so well written and the pictures are..." Read more
"Love this illustrator. The story is very sweet and a little sad." Read more
"A little enigmatic, a tad haunting, a lot charming. It's one of my fave books to gift to friends who love exploring the natural world...." Read more
"This is one of my favorite story for fall. My students enjoy the mystery of the stranger and I love hearing them discuss who he might be." Read more
Customers praise the exquisite illustrations of the book, with one noting that the words and pictures are enduring.
"One of his first books I found, amazing art work and a rather exciting story of the old world" Read more
"...with a surprise at the end - Same author as Polar Express, so well written and the pictures are beautiful." Read more
"...His illustrations are wonder-full." Read more
"...I'd not read this particular book, though I love the artwork and simple text of other books of his; this is a dandy...." Read more
Customers find the book effective for teaching inferencing skills to children, making it a great addition to classroom libraries.
"This is a wonderful book for teaching questioning and inferring comprehension skills. Each time I read it to my first graders they see something new." Read more
"Classic text, great for teaching inferences." Read more
"This is one of my favorite story for fall. My students enjoy the mystery of the stranger and I love hearing them discuss who he might be." Read more
"I read this story for the first time a few weeks ago. The book is so interesting - I thought that the ending might be different depending what is..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseOne of my favorite children's authors, fun stories with a surprise at the end - Same author as Polar Express, so well written and the pictures are beautiful.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI used this book as a mentor book for my fourth grade students in September. My students still referred to it at the end of the school year.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseLove this illustrator. The story is very sweet and a little sad.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseA little enigmatic, a tad haunting, a lot charming. It's one of my fave books to gift to friends who love exploring the natural world. One of the few books I can't read out loud without tearing up a bit.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThis is one of my favorite story for fall. My students enjoy the mystery of the stranger and I love hearing them discuss who he might be.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2015Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThis is a book about a mysterious stranger whom a farmer accidentally hits with his truck one day. The stranger cannot talk, but there is definitely more to him than meets the eye. The farm where he stays experiences summer one week longer than anywhere else. It is definitely a fun read.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseMy students love the story. The book came in great shape!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2018Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI read this story for the first time a few weeks ago. The book is so interesting - I thought that the ending might be different depending what is inferred from the story. So I asked my 15 and 17 year old to read it, and my husband. Each took something different from the story and made their own inferences. Since then I have read it to a class made up of 3,4, and 5th graders they all loved it and all made their own conclusion as to who the stranger is...
Top reviews from other countries
-
いじさまっくすReviewed in Japan on February 15, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars あんた誰よ??
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase邦訳は村上大先生なのですよ。
でも、わざわざ、翻訳もの読まなくても、
原著は、中学生でも読めると思います。
絵と、この不思議観は、かなりシンクロしていて面白い。
表情の描き方がよいのだと思いました。
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on August 8, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThis book leaves you with your imagination. The end is not cut and dry, but allows you to think. It’s a good read for all ages.
- Agathe LpReviewed in France on August 22, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseTop
-
C. MugnaiReviewed in Italy on December 11, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars spendido
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseStoria poetica con illustrazioni stupefacenti. Consigliatissimo.
- Chris TrevainsReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Artwork
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseExcellent visuals, beautiful drawings and a easy to understand story with a twist. My son loves it. Highly recommended.