Roar! A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia is by Heather Kopp with David Kopp. The book’s illustrations are by Martin French. The trio does a great job with the text and illustrations.

The authors divide the book into five parts. And all parts are interesting. The authors thoughtfully included a biography of C. S. Lewis along with the book’s introduction to Roar! in Part 1.

Roar! A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia is a joy. It contains so much information for readers of The Chronicles of Narnia books. In Part two, the seven books, chapter by chapter, are discussed. The difficult or unfamiliar words, in each chapter, are explained. There are thoughts on the chapter’s story complete with a related Bible scripture. Fun quizzes accompany some chapter discussions.

After the chapter discussions on each book in the series, Part three, is what is called “Final Exams for Narniacs.” Are you a Narniac? Test your mettle.

Part four, “Leading the Way into Narnia,” is very helpful. Guest authors’ essays guide the parents of young readers. There are discussions on magic, racism, and many other topics of interest to a parent.

Part five, “Roar! Fact File,” contains a glossary and an index of characters and creatures. Use the index to discover what are Cruels and who is Pug. Just to let you know, Cruels are evil spirits who attend Aslan’s death on the Stone Table. Pug is a pirate who trades in slaves on the Lone Islands. There is a list of places located in the seven books, and much more, including the answers to the quizzes.

Martin French’s illustrations are brilliant. These works of art will be nominated for many awards. His colorful drawings are sprinkled throughout the book. They are as magical as the land of Narnia. The book’s cover illustration is Lucy on Aslan’s back as they partake in a vigorous romp after he returns to life. Lucy’s face reveals her euphoria. The power of Aslan’s muscular body and mighty roar is conveyed by the artist’s curvilinear strokes.

Roar! A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia is a great companion piece to have while reading The Chronicles of Narnia books. It is informative, but most of all, it is fun. No one reads a guide that is dull. This guide is not dull! It is as pleasurable as the Chronicles themselves.

A note to parents, this guide will be of help to the parent who will take their children to see the Walt Disney movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.



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