The Magical Worlds Of Narnia: A Treasury Of Myths And Legends, by David Colbert (Puffin, £5.99)

A Field Guide To Narnia by Colin Duriez (Sutton, £20)

Beyond The Wardrobe: The Official Guide To Narnia by EJ Kirk (HarperCollins, £12.99)

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Perry Moore (HarperCollins, £14.99)

WITH the film of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe looking set to be the next big Christmas fantasy blockbuster, Narnia is suddenly hot again - or should that be cool?

The classic children's stories by CS Lewis were first published more than 50 years ago. They have never been out of print, and have enthralled generations of children.

Now, clearly with half an eye on Christmas and in the hope that they can hitch a ride on the back of the film, publishers have rushed to print with a series of tie-in books.

Sadly, however, all four books are disappointing.

The Magical Worlds Of Narnia goes through the seven Narnia books one by one, revealing how they are rooted in classical as well as Christian myth and answering questions like: why did the adventure begin in a wardrobe? And who was the white witch and why did Lewis create her? There are lots of interesting snippets, some good background information on the world in which Lewis set his books, and a timely comment on the author's racism (just look at The Horse And His Boy if you doubt that). But it's all too scholarly for young readers, yet not academic enough for older fans.

A Field Guide To Narnia has an interesting history of Narnia, complete with a timeline. There is an account of CS Lewis's life, and almost half the book is made up of an A-Z guide to the characters, events and places that feature in the books. But sadly it still manages to be rather dull.

Beyond The Wardrobe is a large, lavishly-produced paperback with a few wonderful illustrations. The problem is, there just aren't enough.

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion looked the most promising of the books. It is packed with images and conceptual drawings from the forthcoming film, which mean it is at least a visual treat. But the content, which consists of sycophantic interviews with the child stars and lots of technical stuff about creating the special effects, lacks any true Narnia magic. One for film buffs rather than true devotees of the world of Narnia. The latter would be better off sticking with CS Lewis's original books.

Updated: 08:38 Saturday, November 19, 2005