This inspiring picture-book biography captures the imaginative and sometimes painful childhood of C.S. Lewis. It beautifully connects Lewis’s early losses, boarding school struggles, and close friendships to the ultimate creation of Narnia. The warm, whimsical illustrations, created with graphite pencil and Procreate, perfectly evoke a sense of nostalgic wonder and anchor the emotional depth of the story. By highlighting how real-world hardships can fuel creative storytelling, the book serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of imagination. It is an enchanting read for young fans eager to discover the real-life magic behind the world of Narnia. Included are an author’s note, an illustrator’s note, a timeline of Lewis’s life, suggestions for further reading, and recommended resources.
Title: The Boy Behind The Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Grew Up To Create Narnia
Author: Suzanne Poulter Harris
Illustrator: Mia Miroslavova
Publisher: Eerdmans Book for Young Readers
Copyright: 2026
Original Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5616-9
Hardcover pages: 56
Age range: 6-12
Genre: Picture book, Biography
Book setting: Ireland, England
Author’s ethnicity: Irish
Author’s residence: Washington, DC
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Bulgarian
Illustrator’s residence: England
Subjects: Biography, Books, Boxen, Imagination, J.R.R. Tolkien, Narnia, Reading, Wardrobe
Heidi, the Swiss classic, is one of the bestselling books of all time. This new picture book version tells about Heidi and her grandfather living in the Alps, Heidi’s difficult move to Frankfurt to live with wheelchair-bound Clara, and Heidi’s return home to the mountains and her grandfather, complete with Clara’s recovery. Thirty bold, handcrafted paper-cut and digital collage illustrations capture Heidi’s heartwarming story, which is as relevant today as ever. mjw
This bilingual Spanish-English edition, the first illustrated selection of 70 questions from Pablo Neruda’s original poem (320 questions), The Book of Questions, is a glorious introduction to Neruda’s works for young children. “Why don’t they teach helicopters how to draw honey from the sun? How did the abandoned bicycle find its freedom? Does the earth chirp like a cricket in the symphony of the skies?” These are a few of the unanswerable imaginative questions posed in the text. The book is large and includes fold-out pages. Blues, reds, and yellows against black or white backgrounds created by pencil and ink have a folk art feel. This is a gorgeous book. mjw
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