The Dawn Treader

The title is the name of the ship featured in the book, on which Edmund, Lucy and Eustace go adventuring with King Caspian and his crew. Nothing in Narnia is quite as we know it, and the Dawn Treader is no ordinary ship. The ship is described at length in the book and also features in the book’s illustrations, by Pauline Baynes. It has a high forecastle and poop, in the style of a medieval galleon. It has one mast with a large purple sail, and can also be propelled by oars. At the prow is the head of a golden dragon, with wings stretching behind. The hull is painted green, and the golden dragon’s tail extends at the stern.

‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ is the fifth book of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ by C.S. Lewis.

This model is of simple construction, intended to be manageable by Grade 6 (11 year old) pupils. There are 33 components, on three sheets of card. The model is 10 1/2” (27cm) in length and 8” (20cm) to the top of the mast.

The mast, cross spar and oars of this model are made from rolled paper. A simpler alternative would be wooden skewers or dowels. I’ve added some rigging to the model shown in these pictures, but it isn’t essential. Youngsters may enjoy adding tiny cut-out figures of the characters in the book. And to make a baseboard sea of messy plaster or modelling clay or papier mache would be fun! I’ve limited myself here to a painted sea with a cotton wool bow wave and wash.