From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4. The main question one must ask is why these picture-book renditions of C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are needed. The stories are adapted, simplified, and boxed on each page, with full-color, double-page spreads done in a painterly, realistic technique. These illustrations are given more importance than the texts, which provide just the bare bones of the plot. However, the pictures, as well executed as they are, nevertheless constrain the imagination. And the narratives pale as introductions to Lewis's exquisite prose and his much greater ability to tell a story with subtlety, symbolism, and nuance. Audio versions of Lewis's originals are far better choices, especially for those unable to take on Lewis's prose so early in their reading careers.?Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Clive Staples Lewis,was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1898. As a child, he was fascinated by the fairy tales, myths, and ancient legends recounted to him by his Irish nurse. The image of a faun carrying parcels and an umbrella in a snowy wood came to him when he was sixteen. Many years later, the faun was joined by an evil queen and a magnificient lion. Their story became
The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. Six further
Chronicles of Narnia followed, and the final title,
The Last Battle, was awarded the United Kingdom's prestigious Carnegie Award.