By Benita Aw Yeong

Younger fans of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles Of Narnia need not miss out on the books if they find them too hard to read.

The Chronicles - a series of stories that trace the adventures of children in the fictional realm of Narnia - contain descriptions that are a tad too wordy for younger ones.

Indeed, retailers such as Amazon and local bookstore Page One recommend them for children nine years and above.

However, publishers have now come up with picture books, activity books and simplified versions of the stories.

The marketing move was inspired by the recent film The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the fourth of seven fantasy novels by Lewis in which horses grow wings, mice double as soldiers and good always prevails in the end.

Fast-paced and action-packed, there is never a dull moment in this world of magic. Children encounter danger and peril, but eventually emerge as victors over their enemies.

Written by Lewis between 1949 and 1954, The Chronicles Of Narnia is today considered one of his most distinctive works and a classic of children's literature.

Aside from Prince Caspian, The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe (Book Two of the seven) also hit the big screen in 2005.

LifeStyle takes a peek at versions of The Chronicles adapted for younger readers eager for their dose of Narnia.

THE RETURN TO NARNIA: THE RESCUE OF PRINCE CASPIAN
Illustrated by Matthew S. Armstrong, based on Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
HarperCollins Children's Books/Paperback/$6.31 with GST/Books Kinokuniya

Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy return to Cair Paravel, where they ruled the land of Narnia a year ago.

A dwarf named Trumpkin tells them that Narnia was not the peaceful place it once was: The throne has been stolen from Caspian, to whom it rightfully belongs.

The four siblings join Prince Caspian's troops and win the battle with the help of Aslan, the great lion.

The soft yet detailed strokes in Matthew S. Armstrong's illustrations will enchant any reader.

With each page resembling a painting on canvas, the roar of Aslan, with his mouth wide and sharp teeth showing, will make your heart beat faster. An exciting read.

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN: THE TAIL OF REEPICHEEP
Adapted by E. K. Stein, based on the book by C.S. Lewis
HarperCollins Children's Books/Paperback/$6.31 with GST/Books Kinokuniya

Reepicheep the mouse is the leader of 12 other mice, a band of fearsome warriors who defend the forest in Narnia.

Fiercely loyal to Aslan the great lion, Reepicheep and his friends pledge allegiance to Caspian, who has to get the throne back from his evil uncle.

The troop of mice valiantly attacks the ankles of the soldiers but Reepicheep loses his tail in the midst of battle.

In a poignant yet mildly tickling scene, the other mice want to cut off their tails, too, in respect for their leader.

Thankfully, Aslan restores 'what makes Reepicheep a mouse'.

An unusual account of Prince Caspian, The Tail of Reepicheep is a tale wittily named, and contains bits of humour that will delight the reader.

The sight of Reepicheep standing on the big figure of Caspian, who looks scared out of his wits, will bring a smile to the face of any child.

The traits of loyalty and bravery Reepicheep embodies will endear him to parent and child alike, not to mention the gold headband he wears on his left ear, with a red feather stuck in it - cute beyond words.

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN: PRINCE CASPIAN'S ARMY
Adapted by Sadie Chesterfield, based on the book by C.S. Lewis
HarperCollins Children's Books/Paperback/$8.03 with GST/Books Kinokuniya

Tension fills the air as Caspian rides on horseback through the forest. He is soon knocked out cold, after slamming his head into a thick tree branch.

Trufflehunter the badger and his dwarf friend save Caspian, who is surprised to see creatures he thought had long been extinct.

The trio are on the run. Reepicheep the mouse appears when a soldier is hot on the heels of Caspian and saves the day.

With its text and illustration highly similar to The Tail Of Reepicheep, kids who read the two books one after another might find one of them boring.

What will certainly catch a child's eye, however, are the pictures of centaurs and other creatures that belong to traditional ancient Greek stories.

A perfect start to a future diet of Greek myths and other folk tales.

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA PRINCE CASPIAN: LUCY'S JOURNEY
Adapted by Jennifer Frantz, based on the book by C.S. Lewis
HarperCollins Children's Books/Paperback/$6.96 with GST/Books Kinokuniya

You'd think that in a world where Telmarine soldiers and frequent battles are commonplace, a little girl might feel just a bit left out.

Lucy's Journey proves the opposite.

The heart of Lucy, youngest of the Pevensie lot, 'feels heavy' when she learns of Narnia's plight.

Seeing that the Caspian army needs more than the Pevensies, Lucy looks for Aslan.

Mounting a horse, she ventures out on her own to find the lion. She meets danger, but Aslan finally saves her and accedes to her request for help.

Lucy's Journey is one of the most inspiring of the spin-offs. Bright-eyed and innocent, Lucy proves she is not all sugar and spice, but has a mind of her own.

Scenes from the movie peppered all over the book will make this read a familiar one.

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: STORY AND ACTIVITY BOOK
HarperCollins Children's Books/$14.87 with GST/Books Kinokuniya

A basic guide to Narnia, this book will fill you in on anything from creatures that live in Narnia to the steamed pudding and cock-a-leekie soup Narnians have for dinner.

Besides being a mini Narnia guide, this book contains a myriad of activities for young children.

They can join the dots to form 'a creature that helped the Pevensies', or rack their brains to find names of warriors hidden in a word-search puzzle.

With some counters and a dice, children can even play a board game on one of the book's pages.

Mothers who love baking can also use this book to entice their kids to join them. Cook up a storm with a recipe for a cake, which follows the story of 'Tea with Mr Tumnus', a gentle faun who makes friends with Lucy.

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
Pop-ups by Robert Sabuda, based on the books by C.S. Lewis, HarperCollins Publishers/Hardcover/ $44.94 with GST/Books Kinokuniya

This book is worth every cent of its hefty price. The amazing pop-up craftwork that emerges with each turn of the page will keep the most active of children hooked.

The pop-ups are crafted with such detail that a gentle open-close motion of the book can make the jaws of Aslan widen and close.

Cloth and string employed to construct the Dawn Treader and the White Witch's chariot will make you marvel at Sabuda's creativity and may even inspire your child to pick up origami as his latest hobby.

This book further serves as an overall guide to all the Narnia stories, with a small summary of each book at the corner of its pages.

Hidden underneath inconspicuous flaps are further pop-ups. Get your child to guess where these are.

Flipping through this book is an enchanting experience.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Jun 29, 2008.