The January Bookish Calendar and Classic Book Monday with a review of The Hobbit

 

Dear Bookish Friends, 

Happy New Year! Another uncertain year lies ahead of us, but one thing that we can be certain of is that there is a wealth of good books out there for ourselves and for the children in our lives. Thank goodness for that!

First of all, as it is the beginning of the month, I would like to direct you to the January Bookish Calendar. Here you will find a calendar on which are noted the birthdays of famous people. Many of these notations have links to books about the people in question. Special days, such as Appreciate a Dragon Day (January 16th), are also on the calendar. As I have a deep fondness for dragons, I shall be sharing several dragon books with you this month.  

You will see on this calendar that January the 3rd is J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday. There is a link on the calendar to reviews of books about the author. Thank you, dear man, for your stories, the worlds that you created, and your marvelous characters. In honor of his birthday I bring you a review of The Hobbit on this Classic Book Monday. 

What many of you might not know is that Tolkien was an accomplished artist. The image at the top of this page is one of the pieces that he created for The Hobbit. There is a marvelous book, The art of the Hobbit that was published in 2012 in which his art for this book is showcased. I shall be buying a copy of this book for myself today! 

The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien
Fiction
For ages 10 and up
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 978-0547928227
Bilbo Baggins is very happy with his quiet life in his comfortable hobbit hole under the hill. Meals areoften, abundant, and predictable, and everything is as it should be. He is therefore very discombobulated when Gandalf the wizard appears on his doorstep one day, and he tries to get rid of the disturbing old man as quickly as possible. He is even more horrified when thirteen dwarves and Gandalf arrive for tea the very next day. It would appear that they want Bilbo to join them on an adventure. The dwarves want to get back the treasure that Smaug the dragon stole from them, and they want to hire Bilbo to help them; he will be their "burglar." Bilbo very much wants to refuse this offer, and yet for some confusing reason this fails to happen. Before he quite knows what is happening, Bilbo is riding on a pony, heading off on an adventure which may very well be his undoing.
   As it happens, the dwarves are very lucky that they took Bilbo with them for he saves their lives several times over. Not only is he quick thinking and brave, but he also finds a ring of invisibility, which makes it possible for him to do all kinds of remarkable things.
   In the end, quiet little Mr. Baggins does indeed fulfill his role as the expedition's burglar. In the process he becomes very fond of a side of himself that he otherwise would never have discovered; he learns that he is able to out-riddle an evil little cave-dwelling monster; he can fight huge spiders; he figures out how to rescue his friends from captivity; and he even talks to a huge dragon. It would appear that Bilbo is more than just an unassuming little hobbit who likes to have his meals on time. That other side of his character helps him rise to challenges that would fell many, and he thus earns the respect and admiration of elves, dwarves, and men alike.
   This is a tale that has truly stood the test of time, and it has delighted readers of all ages since its publication in 1937. Tolkien is without a doubt one of the greatest fantasy writers of all time.

Bookish Calendar - Today is the birthday of author and illustrator Janell Cannon

Today is the birthday of Janell Cannon, the author who created Stellaluna, Verdi, Pinduli and other wonderful picture books that feature animals. One of my favorite Janell Cannon titles is Crickwing. I have always had a fondness for insects, and the main character in this picture book is a cockroach.

Crickwing

Janell Cannon

Picture Book

Ages 6 to 9

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005, 9780152050610

Crickwing is in a very disgruntled mood. A close encounter with a toad has left one of the cockroach's wings bent at an awkward and painful angel. To make things worse, every time Crickwing finds and arranges his food to his satisfaction, some creature comes along to either steal his food or it tries to eat him. For Crickwing is something of an artist and he enjoys creating sculptures of his food - beautiful creations of roots, flowers and twigs. He does not, however, enjoy seeing his work destroyed and having to run for his life.

Finally Crickwing has had enough and when he sees a parade of leafcutter ants walking by he decides to have a little fun. Unfortunately what he does is at the expense of the ants and Crickwing rapidly turns into a bully, making life very difficult for the industrious ants.

   Crickwing soon learns that no one bothers ants and gets away with it - not even a large cockroach. Crickwing is taken captive by the leafcutter ants and not long afterwards the queen ant decides on his punishment.

   Crickwing is a very sympathetic character and it is refreshing to read about a creature that most people are terrified of - a cockroach. The author presents her insect characters in such a way that one cannot help hoping the Crickwing will be saved. With humor and compassion Janell Canon's clever story unfolds, each beautifully illustrated page drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the little insect world on the forest floor.

   At the back of the book the author has included some further information about cockroaches and leafcutter ants.


You can look at a profile of Janell Canon here, and if you are interested in insects and their kin, take a look at the TTLG Insects and their Relatives feature.