A picture book tells the story of young "Jack" Lewis, from Belfast to Narnia
Published on October 20 by Eerdmans, "The Boy Behind the Wardrobe" follows C.S. Lewis's childhood for readers aged 6 to 12, and its author presents it at the Wade Center on November 7.
A new children's book is interested less in the author of Narnia than in the boy he once was. "The Boy Behind the Wardrobe," written by Suzanne Poulter Harris and illustrated by Mira Miroslavova, follows Lewis, whom his family called "Jack", from his Belfast childhood onward. It covers the stories he invented with his brother Warnie, the death of his mother, his boarding-school years, the First World War, his friendship with Tolkien, and finally the creation of Narnia.
The author, who grew up in Northern Ireland, once taught a couple of miles from Lewis's childhood home. The 56-page book includes an author's note, a timeline and a bibliography, and comes as a hardcover and an ebook at $19.99.
To mark the launch, the Wade Center at Wheaton College in Illinois is hosting a free read-aloud, talk and signing on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. local time. As far as we can tell, no French edition has been announced.
See also
- Lewis's grandfather's Belfast home could become a centre devoted to the author
- C.S. Lewis, from Belfast to Oxford (1898-1931)
- From Belfast to the Wardrobe: Jack's life in ten riddles
Sources
- Eerdmans, "The Boy Behind the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Grew Up to Create Narnia", publisher's listing, accessed November 3, 2026.
- Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College, "The Boy Behind the Wardrobe, with Suzanne Poulter Harris", November 7, 2026.
- Children's Book Council, book listing.