Zathura
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| Author | Chris Van Allsburg |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Chris Van Allsburg |
| Cover artist | Chris Van Allsburg |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature, science fiction |
| Published | 2002 (Houghton Mifflin) |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 49031916 |
| LC Class | PZ7.V266 Zat 2002 |
| Preceded by | Bad Day at Riverbend |
| Followed by | Probuditi! |
Zathura is an illustrated children's book by the American author Chris Van Allsburg as well as the title of a 2005 film based on the book. Two boys are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is magically hurled through space. The book is a sequel to Jumanji, another illustrated book by Van Allsburg, and references are made, both visual and textual, to Jumanji.
As Zathura starts, the parents of two brothers, Walter and Danny Budwing, are leaving, but Walter and Danny don't get along with each other. Danny wants to play catch, while Walter wants to watch T.V. 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 called Jumanji: A Jungle Adventure. Danny brings the game home, where he then loses interest in playing it. Danny then finds another board 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 to go back in time. Walter transports back to the time when he catches Danny in the park. Danny finds Jumanji and looks at it, and is about to take it home, but Walter grabs the game and shoves it into the trash, implying that he has played the game before. Finally, the story ends with Walter's offering to play catch and the two brothers playing catch together.
A film adaptation of the book was made in 2005. Despite being a box office bomb, it garnered a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and received positive reviews.
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