The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
Being a Historical Exploration of the Creation and Reception of the
Third Book of the Chronicles of Narnia

Biography of C. S. Lewis | Bibliographic Description of Original Text | Publication History
Contemporaneous Reception of Text | Critical Evaluative Essay | Home Page

At the time of its release, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was reviewed by several prominent publications—Booklist, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Herald Tribune, and Horn Book. These reviews were generally brief but favorable, often noting that it held up well in comparison to the first two Narnia books. Here are a few highlights:

Louise Bechtel, in The New York Herald Tribune Book Review: “It is a complicated, different sort of fairy tale, exciting and beautiful. It can be read independently of the other Narnia books. Those who like one are apt to read all. They are finding an audience among both boys and girls, and in read-aloud families who have graduated from shorter fairy tales, and even among those who do not generally like fairy tales. … The strange symbolism will not often be understood, but it is well worth that place at the back of a child’s mind where it will linger until suddenly it is clear.”
Chad Walsh, in New York Times Book Review: “… better than its immediate predecessor [Prince Caspian], though perhaps not up to the very high level of ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.’ … As in many other of Mr. Lewis’ books, one finds a strong poetic sense and awareness of the loveliness and mystery of a universe which cannot be wholly grasped by common sense. And the noble lion, Aslan, appears and reappears as the friend and savior of fairyland’s voyagers.”
J. D. L., in The Horn Book: “This is the third story about Lucy and Edmund and their adventures in the land of Narnia, and just as good as the other two. … One can imagine that twenty, thirty years from now, grownups will be recalling the Narnia tales with the same nostalgic pleasure many people today feel for the E. Nesbit books. Both these writers should be introduced to all imaginative children.”
Bulletin from Virginia Kirkus’ Bookshop Service: “More English make-believe and symbol-ridden adventure in this sequal [sic] to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian … fine fantasy.”
The Booklist: “Children who fell under the spell of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and its sequel will welcome this return to the imaginary land of Narnia… the story… is one of exciting incident, beauty, and magical symbolism. Can be enjoyed as an independent story and would be an excellent choice for reading aloud.”

Recommendations
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, along with the six other books in The Chronicles of Narnia, have remained popular since their publication. The series has been consistently recommended to librarians and parents throughout the last 50 years. Generally, catalogs will provide a short review of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and then list the next six books.

The Chronicles of Narnia have been listed in:

Source	Comments
Children's Catalog. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1966 . Print.	All seven Narnia books have been recommended in every edition of the Children's Catalog since the 11th edition in 1966 for children grades 4-7.
Gillespie, John and Catherine Barr. Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers, Grades 6-9. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. 2004.	Lists all seven Narnia books under "Fiction: Fantasy."
Hahn, Daniel and Leonie Flynn. The Ultimate Teen Book Guide. New York: Walker and Co, 2008.	As a sidebar to the listing for Abarnat by Clive Barker, this guide says, "If you're find of tales about children escaping the boring, everyday world, try C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia."
Lipson, Eden Ross. The New York Times Parent's Guide To The Best Books For Children. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000.	"This seven-volume allegorical Christian fantasy has steadily gained worldwide popularity since it was first published in the 1950s. In the beginning, Aslan, the white lion, freed Narnia from the spell of the White Witch, but that was just the beginning. These tales are very good for reading aloud."
Lynn, Ruth Nadelman. Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults: An Annotated Bibliography. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1989.	"In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952; 1986, pap.) Edmund, Lucy, their cousin Eustace, and Prince Caspian sail to World's End aboard the Dawn Treader, in search of seven missing noblemen."
Trachtenberg, Ellen. A Parent's Guide to the Best Children's Literature. Los Angeles: Parent's Guide Press, 2003.	Recommends all seven Narnia books for ages 10 and up.

Bibliography of Reviews
(Reviews marked with a * have been quoted above.)

Austin, Patricia. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Book)." Booklist 100.13 (2004): 1212.
*Bechtel, Louise S. “All Ages Will Enjoy Together Fun, Magic Facts in New Books.” New York Herald Tribune Book Review, 16 November 1952, 3.
*“Books to Read Aloud.” Bulletin from Virginia Kirkus’ Bookstore Service 20 (August 1, 1952): 451-2.
Christopher, Joe and Joan Ostling. C. S. Lewis: An Annotated Checklist of Writings about him and his Works. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1974.
Downing, David C. Into the Wardrobe: C. S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
*The Horn Book. “Chronicles of Narnia Reviews.” Web. 26 October 2010.
Sherman, Louise, Phyllis Levy Mandell, and Walter Minkel. "Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Sound recording)." School Library Journal 48.3 (2002): 87.
*“Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” Booklist 49 (December 15, 1952), 146.
"Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Book Review)." Commonweal 57 (November 21, 1952): 172.
"Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Book Review)." The Springfield Republican ( November 9, 1952): 8C.
"Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Book Review)." The Times Literary Supplement ( November 28, 1952): 7.
*Walsh, Chad. “Caspian and Reepicheep.” New York Times Book Review, November 16 1952, 37.