The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 3) (Chronicles of Narnia, 3)

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis. HarperCollins Children's Books,1994

An orphaned boy and a kidnapped horse gallop for Narnia ... and freedom.

'Excellent for Homeschool Use'

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-British narrator Alex Jennings does a smashing job with C. S. Lewis' delightful classic (HarperCollins Children's, 1994), the third story in the Narnia series. The tale begins with a poor slave boy named Shasta escaping from his adopted fisherman father who plans to sell him to a brutish stranger. A dignified talking war horse named Bree helps Shasta flee. Jennings plays Shasta with refreshing gentleness-listeners get a sense of the boy's sensitivity and fear as he embarks on the adventure of his life. The talented narrator plays Bree with the right amount of dignity and haughtiness. This horse amuses with his witty observations about human behavior, and sense of equine superiority. The horse and his boy hope to travel north to Narnia, and encounter numerous adventures and strange characters, all beautifully portrayed by Jennings. The most memorable supporting characters are another escaped child, a tough girl named Aravis, and her talking mare called Hwin. Jennings brings these two adventure seekers to life with his crystal clear narration. Thanks to his skills as a storyteller, the action moves rapidly from one exciting episode to the next. Evocative music plays at the beginning and end of each side of the tape. This presentation will enchant young listeners and encourage them to read the other titles in the series. It is helpful for students to have read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before enjoying this, but The Horse and the Boy stands alone as enthralling, self-contained entertainment.-Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

The books narrate the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of Narnia, a fictional world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals. The protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where many are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil and restore the throne to its rightful line. Lewis's exploration of themes (not usually present in children's literature) include religion, race, and gender THIS IS THE STORY OF AN ADVENTURE that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Narnia and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him. Bree, a talking horse, and Shasta, a young boy, are joined by the four English children and Aslan to help save Narnia from invasion. A boy and a talking horse share an adventurous and dangerous journey to Narnia to warn of invading barbarians.