THE HOBBIT

THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Jemima Catlin.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." So begins J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. At the start we are introduced to Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit who prefers order and cleanliness and the expected. But this Hobbit who enjoys his comfort is about to be thrust into the most uncomfortable and perilous of journeys he could ever have imagined. When Gandalf selects him to be the lynch pin in a quest by the dwarves to regain their stolen mountain home from the dragon, Smaug, Bilbo at first rejects the idea, but after overhearing the dwarves scoff at the idea of him coming, Bilbo commits to going to the ends of the earth if necessary. What follows is a beautiful tale of righting wrongs, of the forming of unbreakable friendships, the testing and forging of character, and the knowledge that this journey may result in the laying down of their lives for each other.

I highly recommend the illustrated version, especially if you have younger children that you are reading to out loud. Jemima Catlin's whimsical artwork is found on almost every page of the book and is delightful!

ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES- There are so many fun activities you can do with this book! To introduce our family to the book, my oldest daughter headed up the making of a Hobbit meal. There is actually a cookbook called An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Book of Hobbit Cookery by Chris- Rachel Oseland. We enjoyed the Mushroom, Beef, and onion Hand Pies, Chester Pudding, and Hot Apple Cider.

- Listen to some of the music from the movie, The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey. We especially love the dwarves rich voices in Misty Mountain and the fun in Blunt the Knives.

- Do you live close to the woods or a state park? Go on your own hiking journey, no matter if it's short or long! Enjoy God's beautiful creation around you!