Van Allsburg uses different techniques to tell the story. He has all of his images on the left page and quotes on the right page. This allows the viewer to imagine what the story is and invites creativity. This also encourages viewers to think of each page in the story. Each image uses dramatic lighting and facial expressions which sets up the mood for mystery. The realism of the art also adds to the appeal. The moments he chooses are so effective because he intentionally uses cliffhangers to gain interest and this enfores his theme that every picture tells many stories.