Narnia

The Lion, The Witch

And The Wardrobe

By: C.S.Lewis

Illustrated by: Tudor Humphries

Summary: Four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) are transported to a mythical land of Narnia. They go through a magical wardrobe closet. Lucy is the first one to step through the wardrobe closet where she is confronted by a faun Tumnus of Narnia, who is very surprise to meet a human. Tumnus tells Lucy he is a servant of the white witch. She then goes back to tell he siblings who at the time do not believe her. Edmund does not believe her till he himself enters into Narnia. Edmund meets the white witch who gives him Turkish Delights and he is so greedy that he asks for more. The witch tells him he will have more if only he brings his siblings and the quest is on. The only one that can save them is Aslan the Lion. This world of magic will keep you glued to the book from start to finish  

Illustration and Art: Great Illustrations of winter themes, Landscapes and wildlife. His illustrations come to life in the reflections in the wardrobe close of Lucy’s siblings showing their mistrust of her story of Narnia. The Illustrator also uses a Bright colorful Red in the scarf of Tumnus and the coat of Father Christmas, to show how cold it was. Again the Illustrator uses a lot of reflections with the owl, looking in on Tumnus crying. And in the beavers house a reflection of Aslan the Lion. The Illustrator uses mystical beasts: half man half horse, horses with wings, elves, Dragons, gargoyles, giants, and stone figures. The Art is so enchanting; there are different textures in the stone to show you cliffs and jagged edges.

Evaluation by Genre: The genre is Children’s Literature, Fantasy, Faith, Fiction, This story a book of redemption, rebirth it also has Christian allegory. It has a lot of mythology in the story.  

Reader Response Questions: (1) Who is the Lion and why is he so important in this story? (2) Who of the Children is on the side of the White Witch? (3)  Why Is Lucy so important in the story? (4) What does the Witch represent in the story? (5) What did Father Christmas give to Lucy and why was it so important? (6) Who was Tumnus, and why was he crying? (7)Who were the beavers and why are they important to the story? (8)Who was Father Christmas? (9) Who was the White Witch and what did she represent? (10) What was the importance of the lamppost?

Motivational activities include:

·         Discuss and tell what you like and disliked about the book.

·         Point out the differences in the book compared to the movie.

·         What would you have done differently if you where Edmund?

·         A small play with all the characters in the story.

Personal Comments: I love this story, It is so beautifully illustrated it make me feel like getting in front of a fireplace with a warm cup of chocolate. As I read this book it takes you on a journey into a mystical place of good versus evil with good winning out. I have read this story so many times to my children over the years till the books pages are worn out. It is a good escapism that lets your fantasy go wild.  This has always been a favorite on my library shelf.

In chapter six page 209, figure 6.1, I would say that the story meets the criteria for excellence in narrative fiction. The fantasy world is detailed and believable within the context of the story. The story events are imaginative, yet logically consistent within the story world. The characters are multidimensional, with consistent with logical behavior. The writing is rich, and the structures are clear. And the themes are meaningful, causing readers to think about life.

Cited

Whitman Galda, Lee, Bernice E. Cullinan, and Lawrence R. Sipe. "Literature and the Child." , 7th Edition by Lee Galda, Bernice E. Cullinan, Lawrence R. Sipe (9780495602392). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, n.d. &, 1998. Print.

Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.

Post by : Terry M. Wheaton