The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #3) FROM OUR EDITORS
The Horse and His Boy was the fifth book written about Narnia, and it deals with events that take place directly after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
ANNOTATION
A boy and a talking horse share an adventurous and dangerous journey to Narnia to warn of invading barbarians.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Narnia...where horses talk and hermits like company, where evil men turn into donkeys, where boys go into battle...and where the adventure begins.
During the Golden Age of Narnia, when Peter is High King, a boy named Shasta discovers he is not the son of Arsheesh, the Calormene fisherman, and decides to run far away to the North--to Narnia. When he is mistaken for another runaway, Shasta is led to discover who he really is and even finds his real father.
FROM THE CRITICS
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.
AudioFile
Fleeing a cruel master, orphan Shasta teams up with two talking horses and an arrogant, aristocratic girl on the run from a forced marriage. Bickering among themselves, the four adventurers face many dangers. Their destination is Narnia (first introduced in Lewis's THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE), a land where dwarves, giants, centaurs, talking animals, and humans live in freedom and harmony. With crisp pacing and accent, Alex Jennings heightens drama and illuminates humor in perfect measure. He brings sprightly characters to life with obvious affection. Like other books in the Narnia series, this one can be enjoyed as a simple fantasy adventure; for others, Lewis's allegorical Christian message will be of interest. E.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
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