Jumanji is a 1981 fantasy children's picture book written and illustrated by American author Chris Van Allsburg. The book is about an enchanted board game that implements wild animals and other jungle elements as the game is played in real life. The book was adapted into a 1995 film of the same name and spawned a franchise that includes three sequels and an animated series. According to Van Allsburg, the name Jumanji is a Zulu word meaning "many effects," referring to "the exciting consequences of the game," which includes the unleashing of wild monkeys, untamed tigers and huge spiders into the world. The board game Jumanji originated in Africa.A sequel to the book, entitled Zathura, was released in 2002. Source: Wikipedia (en)