The Boy Behind the Wardrobe
Written by Suzanne Poulter Harris and illustrated by Mira Miroslavov, The Boy Behind the Wardrobe offers a glimpse into the lonely young life of C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia books. Although written for 6–12-year-olds, I feel the book is better suited to hold the attention of the 10-12 range.
The Story
In telling Jack’s story, the author shared how Jack’s love of reading began at an early age. From there, it grew to his creation of writing fantastical tales of brave mice and rabbits dressed in armor. This escape into the world of stories ignited Lewis’ imagination, and helped fight off his loneliness.
In The Boy Behind the Wardrobe, the author touches on the death of Jack’s mother when he was nine, his difficult time at boarding school, acceptance to Oxford, and his enlistment in the Army during WWI.
The book closes with an adult Jack sheltering evacuee children from London in his country home during WWII. Pointing to the creation of C.S. Lewis’ famed Chronicles of Narnia series.
The author includes a timeline of C.S. Lewis’ life at the back of the book.
The Illustrations
The first thing I noticed upon opening the book is how bleak and dismal the illustrations appear. Blacks, browns, and greys dominate the pages. Young Jack, as C.S. Lewis called himself, lived a difficult life, true. Perhaps that was the thinking behind the chosen color palette.
Another thing I found bewildering with the illustrations was the fact all the people looked quite similar. Hair color. Expressions. With little to distinguish Jack from the others on the page, it was difficult to spot him which one he was in a group.
Final Words
I gave The Boy Behind the Wardrobe to my neighbor for her to share with her 2nd grade son and 4th grade daughter. Both children are familiar with C.S. Lewis and his Chronicles stories, and were excited to have the book.
However, their mother said the children quickly lost interest, and she had to keep pulling them back to finish the story.
The Boy Behind the Wardrobe was not what I expected in a picture book biography for children on the life of C.S. Lewis, but it may be the book for you.
I wish you well.
Sandy
Here’s what you can expect from me. In my posts, you’ll find words of encouragement for writers, book reviews, and discussions on the craft of writing. I am a former elementary school teacher, regular contributor to Guideposts devotional books, and a conference speaker. I write articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children’s publications. You can find me every Tuesday and Thursday at www.sandykirbyquandt.com. Please stop by.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review. Which is what I gave.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.