Chris Van Allsburg, author of acclaimed children’s holiday tale "The Polar Express," has bought himself a lavish Christmas gift: A $3.63 million, 1883-era mansion in Beverly.

Van Allsburg and his wife, Lisa, purchased the property at 51 Paine Ave. from Cynthia Croatti, according to data obtained from The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman. The four-bedroom, gable-roofed, 12,400-square-foot home features three full baths, two half-baths, a 1,700-square-foot finished basement and a two-car, basement garage. The property was last assessed at $2.7 million.

The Van Allsburgs purchased the home with help from a $1 million mortgage from Citizens Bank, according to The Warren Group.

Van Allsburg, a trained sculptor, is most famous for his colorful and vividly illustrated, often mysterious, children’s narratives. His most famous book is "The Polar Express," the tale of a boy who rediscovers the wonder of Christmas after a fantastic journey aboard a magical midnight train to visit Santa Claus at the North Pole. In 2004, the book was made into an Oscar-nominated, motion-capture animated film starring Tom Hanks.

His other works include "Jumanji," the story of a possessed board game also adapted into a successful film starring Robin Williams; "The Wreck of the Zephyr," about a boy who learns to sail boats above the water; and "The Stranger," about a mysterious visitor to a rural farmhouse on the cusp of autumn.

Van Allsburg has twice been awarded the Caldecott Medal by the American Library Association, given annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. He won the honor, among the highest given in childrens literature, in 1982 for "Jumanji," and again in 1985 for "The Polar Express."