Finding Narnia: The Story of C. S. Lewis and His Brother Warnie
by Caroline McAlister (Author) Jessica Lanan (Illustrator)
Finding Narnia is Caroline McAlister and Jessica Lanan's captivating picture book biography of two brothers, Jack and Warnie Lewis, whose rich imaginations led to the creation of the magical world of Narnia.
Before C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, he was a young boy named Jack who spent his days dreaming up stories of other worlds filled with knights, castles, and talking animals. His brother, Warnie, spent his days imagining worlds filled with trains, boats, and technology. One rainy day, they found a wardrobe in a little room next to the attic, and they wondered, What if the wardrobe had no end?
Years later, Jack began to think about what could be beyond that wardrobe, and about a girl named Lucy and her siblings. This picture book biography introduces the beloved creator of The Chronicles of Narnia to a new generation of children who see hidden magic in the world around them.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Publishers Weekly
While young C.S. Lewis ("Jack") "preferred to look through the window of his imagination," his beloved older brother Warnie is fascinated by the shipyard he views from the window of their Belfast home. When the siblings discover an old wardrobe in the house, Jack crawls inside, pondering the possibility that it "had no end." Their mother's terminal illness prompts the boys to escape their "sad house" by creating an imaginary world that eventually--after both serve in WWI and move on to Oxford (Jack) and the army (Warnie)--inspires the Chronicles of Narnia. Lanan's expressive, soft-focused art is meticulously in step with McAlister's lyrical narrative, as both move from the often-harsh real world to the mystical realm of Narnia. Concluding notes from author and illustrator provide beguiling background bits--notably about one fortuitously inspiring wooden wardrobe. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"A vivid portrait of inspiration and imagination... Masterfully explains how a classic series came to be while maintaining a sense of mystery and wonder." - Kirkus, starred review
"Lanan's expressive, soft-focused art is meticulously in step with McAlister's lyrical narrative, as both move from the often-harsh real world to the mystical realm of Narnia." - Publishers Weekly
"An enjoyable follow-up to Narnia storytime for nostalgic parents and their young initiates." - Booklist
Caroline McAlister teaches English at Guilford College and every year takes students to Oxford, England, to study fantasy in the setting where C.S. Lewis lived and wrote. She is the author of John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. Caroline lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Jessica Lanan spent her childhood dreaming of finding a secret door to a magical world. She finally found her Narnia in the blank page, where anything that can be imagined can be brought to life. Jessica is the illustrator of Curtis Manley's Just Right: Searching for the Goldlilocks Planet. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
JNF009000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Boys & Men
JNF019070 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Family | Siblings
