Lucy Steps Through the Wardrobe

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!!!!
Review: I ran across this book while researching childrens literature for a university class I am taking. When I first pulled it out I thought that the title sounded familiar.I used to watch The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe every fall on tv, and I loved it. When I found this book I couldn't believe it. I checked it out and read it then ,because I loved it so, I read it to my three children ages 2,4,and 6. They loved it so much that I went to the University Library and checked out every one of the Chronicles of Narnia books that they had( which was all but 2). I read the entire The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe book to them and they enjoyed the entire thing. They asked very good questions about things in the book which showed me that they were processing it all. Needless to say I read the rest of the series except the 2 that I couldn't find. I also read the adaptation "Lucy steps through the wardrobe" in a read aloud to a class of Kindergarteners, one of 1st graders and one of 2nd graders, and they LOVED it. When I asked them if they would like to hear other adaptations from Narnia they all said "YES!", I just hope that they will come out with more. This is a classic that can now be read to younger children giving them a headstart on loving good ,time withstanding treasures.

Rating:
Summary: Sometimes a picture CAN'T match 1000 words....
Review: If you've never read the chronicles, choose any one of the original 7 and then make an INFORMED choice on whether to buy this book.

I first discovered this picture-book while looking for Books 5 & 6 at the library to continue our family read-aloud of the Chronicles. At first blush, I was delighted someone had made pre-school versions of these books, so we could now share Narnia with my young niece, give her something more satisfying than those vapid Disney heroines. However, upon closer inspection, I was disappointed. The lovely illustrations just don't seem true to the spirit of the line drawings in the original books, nor even to the original text's descriptions.

Modernizing and over-glamourizing (to say nothing of parsing) this series robs our kids of the rich experience the chronicles are AS IS, either read alone or aloud. C.S. Lewis' wonderful command of the English language alone is enough reason to give your kids only the 'real' thing. Yes, the originals ARE deep books, but they give even very young children much fodder for their imaginations and provide excellent models of 'noble' behavior in 'average'(fallible and redeemable) children.

A chapter takes an adult about 15 minutes to read aloud. Add another 5 minutes for Q & A or other interaction/discussion with your young listener, and -- ta-da -- you've met your 20-minutes-a-day reading requirement. If you feel your child is too young now (for whatever reason) to enjoy the originals, then simply WAIT until you think he or she IS old enough. Age has its privilege, and waiting its rewards.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful entry point into Narnia for children
Review: We have read and enjoyed all 6 of the Narnia adaptations by Maze. They are wonderfully illustrated and faithfully excerpted. My youngest (2 years old) can sit still through the book and enjoy the pictures. My oldest (6 years old) loves the books and now wants to read the originals. The original Narnia books are a great treat for the family read aloud time and these books help get them into the story. I would also encourage looking at the BBC productions of several of the Narnia stories which are extremely well done. Finally, I disagree with another reviewer who did not like these books because they weren't "faithful" to the original. While true, it misses the point that I want my children to be drawn into good literature early and not be turned off because the books aren't as extensively illustrated (a key for youngest readers), are too complex to understand, or just too long to sit through.