The Giant Surprise: A Narnia Story [Library Binding]

Hiawyn Oram (Author), Tudor Humphries (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 2005 | Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Narnia

Narnia:

a world made by magic from the start of time,
full of marvelous creatures, talking beasts,
and trees that sometimes get up and dance.

And now the door to this magical world is opened again with a brand-new story. Based on beloved characters introduced by C. S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia, The Giant Surprise presents a new adventure specially created for much younger children.

Now pull on your boots . . . and splash through the muddy marshlands, home to the web-footed, web-fingered Marsh-wiggles. Meet Puddleglum, the most famous of them all. Get to know his niece, Lally, the brave little Wigglet, as together they help the marsh mice challenge the roaring, rock-throwing, not-so-clever giants of Shribble Gorge!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Based on characters originally featured in C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, The Giant Surprise is a brand new Narnia adventure story about Marshwiggles, giants, and mice for young children. Lally, a small wigglet, and her Uncle Puddleglum undertake a hair-raising rescue of their mice friends, before they become a giant’s supper. This new picture book—and the others in the series—shares the values of C. S. Lewis’s original work and explores a world of courage, kindness, and companionship. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Hiawyn Oram has been writing children’s books for more than 20 years, with more than 60 books published to date, including picture books, poetry, plays, young fiction, story collections, and the book and lyrics for two musicals. Her children’s television work includes scripts, conception, and development of several series. She has been the recepient of many prizes and awards for her work, including being shortlisted for the UK Smarties Prize for her book, The Second Princess. She is also the author of Angry Arthur, Just Like Us, A Boy Wants a Dinosaur, Just Dog, and the film Big Cat, Little Cat. In the new Narnia picture books, her wit, imagination, and understanding of childhood provide stories that combine gentle wisdom with stirring action in the spirit of the creator of the Narnia world, C. S. Lewis.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060013605
• ISBN-13: 978-0060013608
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,657,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Branding Abomination, December 7, 2005

By 

Alsand (Ellensburg, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Giant Surprise: A Narnia Story (Hardcover)

Narnia without CS Lewis? A Narnain story without the complex themes Lewis wove in the Chronicles. Rubbish!

One reviewer wrote this:

"I suppose that what would bother Lewis (and what should bother us) is not that the book isn't "Christian," but that it isn't any good. It's flat, predictable, and utterly undistinguished. It is hard to imagine that a story this lifeless would have been published had there been no Narnia hook."

Let this be the last attempt to exploit the Lewis legacy.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Giant Surprise is A Giant Rip-off, December 6, 2005

By 

C.L. Rowekamp "Cathy" (TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Giant Surprise: A Narnia Story (Hardcover)

Nothing Narnia here, nothing C.S. Lewis here, nothing worth buying here.

Beware the onslaught of Narnia "branding". C.S. Lewis would be appalled at this trite, giggly desecration.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The estate of CS Lewis continues to profit, August 12, 2005

By 

Through the Wardrobe "Sam" (Peabody, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Giant Surprise: A Narnia Story (Hardcover)

I was surprised to come across this title - although I was aware that the estate of CS Lewis had opened up the possibility of other Narnia tales that utilized characters from the series to spin off other adventures. Here is one of these new adventures! Whimsical illustrations sure to entrance any child combined with an adventure involving large giants with not so large brains will be a hit with some. In my case, I give this title two stars - because it is *NOT* written by CS Lewis. Inspired by, yes, but authored, heavens no. Concerning Hiawyn Oram, of her I've never heard. But people have heard of Narnia. At least this site lists her as the author, unlike Zondervan.

Someone's making money on Lewis's genius.

A similar situation would be if titles started to hit the 4-10 kids market featuring Bilbo Baggins in other kid friendly adventures. Maybe even Choose Your Own Adventure books for the 11-14 year olds taking place in Middle Earth. Just think, the market is ripe for these items! I type sarcastically.

I'm a Narnia purist; this title adds to the Narnia cannon something that, as far as I'm concerned ended with "Further Up and Further In" and "Farewell to the Shadowlands" (see The Last Battle, last 2 chapters).