First sentence: Once there were four children. Their names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. One day, playing hide-and-seek, Lucy finds a wardrobe and goes in.

Premise/plot: This is a board book that condenses and adapts C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It is a "gentle" retelling. It removes much of the darkness and violence. It reminds me of the live-action George of the Jungle where characters fall off bridges and just get "really bad boo-boos." The book does call Aslan a safe lion. I'm not sure the original would ever do that. But all things considered, it's a summary of a good children's classic.

My thoughts: Much thought was put into making this one appropriate for very young ages. It is gentler, milder, less intense. The illustrations are....well....illustrations. I have never thought of Lucy as blond. But I'm not petty about it. Why not have Lucy with blond hair??? I didn't love the illustrations for the most part. But they're not bad. Just not necessarily my own personal cup of tea. I did like Aslan. ( )