Through the Wardrobe

Written and illustrated by Lina Maslo

A child's imagination births a magical realm, changing lives forever.

4.4/7 Bookroo experts·4.3/5 Goodreads · 298 ratings

42 pages· 1,185 words· Est. 10 min read-aloud· ~620L

$17.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Discover the journey of Clive Staples Lewis, a boy who dreamed of heroic animals and distant lands. As Jack, he found solace in stories when reality fell short. Inspired by a simple question, he created Narnia—a world of fauns, queens, and a lion named Aslan. This magical realm, born from imagination, would transform his life and captivate children worldwide. What wonders lie beyond the wardrobe?

From the publisher

A lyrical nonfiction picture book about the inspired life of C. S. Lewis, the beloved author of the Chronicles of Narnia—from Free as a Bird author-illustrator Lina Maslo. Perfect for fans of The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown and Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White.

As a child, Clive Staples Lewis imagined many things . . .

heroic animals

and knights in armor

and a faraway land called Boxen.

He even thought of a new name for himself—at four years old, he decided he was more of a Jack.

As he grew up, though, Jack found that the real world was not as just as the one in his imagination. No magic could heal the sick or stop a war, and a bully’s words could pierce as sharply as a sword. So Jack withdrew into books and eventually became a well-known author for adults.

But he never forgot the epic tales of his boyhood, and one day a young girl’s question about an old family wardrobe inspired him to write a children’s story about a world hidden beyond its fur coats . . . a world of fauns and queens and a lion named Aslan. A world of battles between good and evil, where people learned courage and love and forgiveness.

A magical realm called Narnia.

And the books he would write about this kingdom would change his life and that of children the world over.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 42
Words: 1,185
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: ~620L

Themes & topics

Books about writing Books about authors Books about books and libraries Books about overcoming adversity Books about imagination

What readers & critics say

Reviews

4.4

out of 7

4.5

“As a major fan of C.S. Lewis, I loved reading this child-accessible and child-friendly look at his life that encourages reading and imagination, although I felt that neither the telling nor the illustration had a magical quality to it.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

4.3

“I'm all for learning about authors' experiences and the stories behind the stories we read, and this book does a nice job of exploring the life and motivations of C.S. Lewis. It's a little wordy for a picture book, and would definitely be most interesting to kids who are old enough to already be acquainted with Narnia. That makse it a pass for me right now (my daughters are 4 and 2), but a good book to keep in mind for some day in the future!”

Lauren Hancock

Trusted reviewer

The author & illustrator