Finding Narnia: The Story of C. S. Lewis and His Brother

We love this book.

I loved this beautiful picture book. The story of C.S. Lewis and his brother gives anyone, parent or child, a keen insight into the underpinnings of the world of Narnia. I read and loved the Narnia books as a child and then again as a young adult. I wish I could have read Finding Narnia with my own children. I guess I'll have to wait for the grandchildren. It really is the perfect book for those who already love Narnia and those who have yet to fall under its spell.

My kids loved this book and ask to read it repeatedly. A great story for those interested in the life of C.S. Lewis and/or fans of Narnia. I learned a lot.

This is beautiful introduction to the man behind the beloved Narnia tales. Lovely addition to our home library.

Picture book biographies are a definite favorite genre of mine and I especially enjoy when they tell the backstory for authors and how their famous books came to be. This wonderful new release was so fun to read with my son as he got excited about each hint of inspiration for Narnia. It was also wonderful to see a story of two very different brothers having a strong relationship and supporting each other.This was written by the same author of the excellent picture book biography John Ronald’s Dragons and the appeal is very similar. Both are a great balance of educational and child friendly, both are beautifully designed, and both have so much thought put into every detail of the text and illustrations. I love that there is both an author’s note and an illustrator’s note at the end and that they show how intentional and factually based all the details were.

Caroline McAlister created a wonderful book on C.S. Lewis, his brother Warnie, and the background to the creation of the Chronicles of Narnia. With the amazingly talented Jessica Lanan illustrating it, this picture book was everything I'd hoped for and so much more. This is a wonderful book examining the juxtaposition and interaction of reality (technology) and imagination. A fusion of seeming opposites; demonstrating how even though Warnie was practical (interested in ships, trains, and schedules) and Jack was imaginative (fascinated with Norse mythology, knights, and castles), the brothers combined their interests to create imaginary worlds of adventures. And how their collaboration lasted a lifetime. This is a great book for those who loved Narnia, are just getting into Narnia, or simply love nonfiction biographies. One I hope finds its way into every library.

Finding Narnia is a compelling biography about the lives of C.S. Lewis and his brother, and what led him to write the Chronicles of Narnia. The text and illustrations were meticulously researched, and the extensive back matter adds another layer of understanding. This is a must have for any classroom or library collection.

This is a super cheap printing of this book. The paper feels super thin and had many pages that were warped. Some of the letters were crisp, others were blurry. Super bummed as we LOVE her Tolkien biography (infinitely better quality).