Zathura
A 2002 children's picture book sequel to Jumanji.
Zathura is a 2002 science fiction picture book for children, created by American author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. It serves as a standalone follow-up to his 1981 book *Jumanji*, and includes nods to that story through both pictures and text. The narrative centers on brothers Danny and Walter Budwing, whose home gets flung into outer space after they start playing a board game called Zathura.
In the plot, the boys’ parents have gone to the Shepherds’ house. The siblings argue over what to do—Danny wants to play catch, while Walter prefers television. Danny throws a baseball that hits Walter in the head, prompting a chase that ends in a park across the street. There, they discover the *Jumanji* game left by Judy and Peter. Danny brings it home but loses interest. Underneath *Jumanji*, he finds another game: *Zathura*. Danny begins playing and draws a card reading "Meteor shower, take evasive action," causing a real meteor shower. The brothers realize the game is warping reality and has sent them into space. Danny decides they must finish the game to return home. During play, Walter loses gravity, and Danny saves him from drifting away. On Walter’s turn, a malfunctioning robot chases him through the house. On Danny’s turn, he approaches a star called Tsouris 3 and becomes shorter and wider. Soon, alien Zorgons arrive in a ship and board the house. The robot drives them off as Walter takes his turn and gets pulled into a black hole, sending him back in time. He reappears in the park with Danny, where Danny is about to take *Jumanji* home. Walter stuffs the game into a trash can and instead suggests they play catch. Their shared dangerous adventures and mutual help have brought the brothers closer.
Reception included *Publishers Weekly* calling the book a "satisfying enigma" like its predecessor. *Booklist* noted that readers of *Jumanji* would enjoy *Zathura*. *The Horn Book Magazine* felt it didn’t work as a sequel to *Jumanji* but succeeded as part of a series.
A film adaptation, *Zathura: A Space Adventure*, directed by Jon Favreau, was released in 2005. It earned positive reviews from critics but performed poorly commercially.
- published
- 2002
- author
- Chris Van Allsburg
- genre
- Science fiction children's picture book
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Standalone sequel to Jumanji; adapted into the 2005 film Zathura: A Space Adventure
Lore & Background
In the story, brothers Danny and Walter Budwing are left home while their parents visit the Shepherds' house. After a quarrel, Danny finds the Jumanji board game left by Judy and Peter in a park across the street. Underneath Jumanji, he discovers another game called Zathura. When Danny begins playing, a card reading 'Meteor shower, take evasive action' triggers a real meteor shower, and the brothers realize the game has sent their house into outer space. They must finish the game to return home. During play, Walter loses gravity and is saved by Danny; a defective robot chases Walter; Danny is shrunk and widened by a star called Tsouris 3; and Zorgon aliens board the house before being chased off by the robot. Walter is pulled into a black hole and sent back in time to the park, where he offers to play catch with Danny instead of taking Jumanji.
Reader's Guide
Zathura is significant as a sequel that expands the universe of Jumanji while maintaining the same premise of a board game that alters reality. The book received mixed reception: Publishers Weekly called it a 'satisfying enigma' like its predecessor, and Booklist said readers of Jumanji would also like it. However, The Horn Book Magazine felt it did not work as a sequel to Jumanji but worked as part of a series. The book was adapted into a 2005 film titled Zathura: A Space Adventure, directed by Jon Favreau, which received positive reviews but was a commercial failure. In 2026, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief executive officer Jared Bush announced an animated film adaptation based on the book. The story's emphasis on sibling cooperation and its integration of visual and textual callbacks to Jumanji have kept it a notable entry in children's science fiction.
Did You Know?
- The book is a standalone sequel to the 1981 children's book Jumanji, also by Chris Van Allsburg.
- The story is implied to be set in the 1950s.
- The 2005 film adaptation, Zathura: A Space Adventure, was directed by Jon Favreau and was a commercial failure.
- On August 20, 2026, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced an animated film adaptation based on the book.
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