Passport to Narnia: A Newcomer's Guide

I've always loved the story of the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe, but was rather unfamiliar with the other stories in the series. Passport to Narnia was an entertaining, effective introduction to the entirety of the tales of CS Lewis. I found the condensed life history of CS Lewis to be interesting and informative, and easy to read. The highlight of the book for me were the illustrations by Tim Kirk, especially the full page of Aslan going to the altar. As a collector, I also really enjoyed an introduction to some of the merchandise. I bought Peter on the unicorn as a result, which should be arriving shortly! I'm glad the author didn't focus on the smaller merchanside such as the toys... they are poorly made. Rather dissapointing after the vast amount of Tolkien merchanside that was available. Thanks for the introduction into Narnia, George!

For such a small little book, it's suprisingly has a lot more information than I expected. I was just assuming a real gloss over, but he seems to cover everything, without going too technical or crazy which makes it perfect for kids. I thought that the information on CS Lewis and his history was really helpful into appreciating the books that much more. The Chronicles of Narnia was one of my favorite series growing up, but not having read them in over 15 years, I thought this book would be a great way to refresh my memories before seeing the movie. In that it suceeds greatly. I was amazed that considering the book has just come out, it covers the first movie and even the Weta figures. A definite read before you read the series and see the movie(s)!

This is a wonderful book for both newcomers to the world of Narnia and for old pros who just need a refresher course. The book is well laid out and very easy to follow. It has breakdowns of all the Chronicles, as well as an extensive listing of products available to the public. So if you are looking for a great book to get you in the know about the world of Narnia, this is the book for you.

A charming little book! A very informative behind-the-scenes look at The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. If you plan on rushing to the theater on December 9, 2005 to see "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," you might want to stop into a bookstore a few days before, so you can read Beahm's "Passport to Narnia." If you're unfamiliar with C.S. Lewis's work, "Passport to Narnia" is a fabulous introduction. Lewis's The Narnian Chronicles is a collection of seven novels, entwining fantasy and Christianity. I'm not a fan of "fantasy" myself, but I do plan on seeing the movie. One glance at the movie's trailer is enough to get anyone wanting to see it. I'm also an animal lover, so the fact that one of the main characters is a talking lion, I'll be there, sitting in the front row. However, my lack of "fantasy knowledge" is limited. I have not read any of the Lewis books, which is why I picked up a copy of Passport to Narnia during my last trip to the bookstore. I wanted my own "preview" of the movie, and "Passport to Narnia" served me well! I can now walk into the theater feeling confident, knowing exactly what to expect. In "Passport" you're given a look at Lewis himself, his body of work as a whole - and also broken down, book by book. You'll also learn about the various characters, the making of the movie, and Narnia collectibles. Beahm also lists many [other] great books and websites for further explanations/studies on the subject of all things Narnian. It hasn't influenced my opinion on fantasy... I just don't care for that genre... but "Passport" is definitely an entertaining look into that world and what it takes to create it. Tim Kirk's illustrations are wonderful, and George Beahm's impeccable "fact collecting" skills make this book a MUST HAVE for all Narnia fans!

Jane Easterly is certainly correct in saying that the book is redundant in places, which is something I work hard to minimize. In the next printing, I will go through and carefully minimize the redundancy, since I find that a little goes a long way. I wrote this book because, unlike most Narnia fans, I came into Narnia fairly late in life. I've had a set of the books on my shelf for over a decade, but only recently picked them up to read them, since the movie was coming out and the trailer looks magnificent. (There's no doubt that the movie will be spectacular.) In my research on books about C.S. Lewis and Narnia, the thing that struck me is that most of them were written for academicians or those of Christian faith. I felt what was needed was a general interest book (much like my own MUGGLES AND MAGIC) about C.S. Lewis, written especially for those who come from the movie (THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE) to the bookstore and want a basic introduction to the man and his fiction. If you've never read the Narnia books and know nothing about C.S. Lewis, my book is a good place to start. It's got a lot of information gleaned from many sources--and no, you won't find all of this information on the web--and provides in one handy, affordable book everything the new Lewis reader needs to know. The book is wonderfully illustrated by Tim Kirk, who has illustrated both of my previous books (MUGGLES AND MAGIC, and FACT, FICTION AND FOLKLORE, both about Harry Potter).