This book tells the life of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, most famously known as J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." The story tells the story of his life, it has a lot of text and would be better for older children to read. The illustrations were not my favorite, and for a book about J.R.R. Tolkien I would have expected more fantastical illustrations. ( )

I think that this is a good book. The illustrations are whimsical and fun similar to Tolkien's books. The illustrator created drawings that resembled a board game on each page. It was as if the reader is embarking on a game as they read the book. This helps to keep the reader interested and engaged. I also like that the author focused heavily on Tolkien's life as a child, touching only briefly on his adult life as an author. This makes the book more relatable to me because I can relate to Tolkien as a child and young adult more so than as a grown adult because I have yet to experience life after college. The main idea of this story is to let your imagination run free because it can take you on magnificent journeys. ( )

Great introduction to Tolkien's life for younger readers. ( )

J. R. R. Tolkien by Alexandra Wallner, illustrated by John Wallner

Cartoonish drawings in pastels cover the pages of this biography of Tolkien, intended for young readers. The book covers his early life in South Africa and rural England, schooling in Birmingham, courtship of Edith Bratt, career in the army, family and professorship at Oxford. All throughout his life he was interested in writing stories and exploring imagination, but it was not until later in his life that he finally began to write the tales that would make him famous. The book ends with a time line, bibliography, and source notes.

The art is arranged like a game board, with various events highlighted with game cards, but this layout is never explained; does it reference something in Tolkien’s life, or did the illustrator just think it would be interesting?

Verdict: The book is a basic introduction to Tolkien, but the art and text has a very childish feel. I’m not sure what the audience for this would be; kids young enough not to be turned off by the cartoon illustrations and rather bland text would be too young even for Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Kids old enough to appreciate The Hobbit and his other works aren’t going to be interested in this picture book.

ISBN: 978-0823419517; Published August 2011 by Holiday House; Review copy provided by publisher