John Ronald's Dragons

February 13, 2017
The dragons of imagination are always there, but sometimes it takes time for them to breathe fire—that’s what McAlister (Holy Molé!) suggests in this thoughtful look at the creative development of John Ronald, aka J.R.R. Tolkien. Reflecting Ronald’s lifelong preoccupation with dragons, Wheeler’s (This Is Our Baby, Born Today) illustrations blend hints of the fantastical and the mundane—chimney plumes and steam from a young Ronald’s oatmeal mimic the smoke curling from an imagined dragon’s nostrils. McAlister moves briskly through Ronald’s life, touching on the influences of his faith, military service, and education before he hit upon the invention of a hobbit, one who would lead him all the way to “a dragon named Smaug.” It’s an ideal lead-in to family readings of The Hobbit. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary.

December 1, 2016
The story of a boy who dreamed of dragons and found a way to bring them to life.Tolkien grows from dapper lad to dapper young man in Wheeler's cleanly drawn scenes as, tucked into views of carefully rendered buildings and landscapes (the illustrator appends lengthy notes), glimpses of scaly figures from treasured old tales or new fancies join evocative curls of smoke and architectural details to hint at the constant presence of dragons in his imagination. An account of his halcyon early days describes his loving mother and good friends and, critically, playing at making up his own language with his cousin. McAlister then tersely carries him through his subsequent unhappy youth, wartime, marriage, and academic career on into Middle Earth and The Hobbit--where at last, deep under the Lonely Mountain, "John Ronald found his dragon." Two portraits of Smaug rearing up in red and golden splendor cap the narrative. A long authorial note plus a catalog of dragons from Tolkien's novels, quotes from his essays, and a bibliography will well serve readers looking for more about the man's life and outlook. It's better written than Alexandra Wallner's 2011 profile, though as a general gateway to Tolkien's realms, the focus on his dragons makes it not so broad. Since the likeliest audience for this is kids who have seen the Hobbit films, it's a good reminder that the book came first. (afterword, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-10)

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February 1, 2017

Gr 1-4-McAlister's picture book introduction to the life of J.R.R. Tolkien (whom she calls John Ronald) is written in simple, descriptive language-a fragment to six short sentences per page or spread. ("John Ronald was a boy who loved horses. And trees. And strange sounding words.") Critical to John Ronald's life were the "stillness, beauty, and peace" of the Catholic Church; his love of English (coming up with new languages and using them to write stories); his lifelong school friends who shared his love of literature; and his dreams of dragons and other fantastical creatures that inhabited the books read to him and his brother by their mother, who died when John Ronald was 12. After marrying, then fighting in the trenches during World War I, Tolkien taught at Oxford University, where he gave lectures, went to meetings, tutored students, and "graded many, many, exams." The world of the Hobbit and his adventures, created for Tolkien's own children, became a book in 1937. Wheeler's pencil-detailed paintings in subdued greens and yellows effectively portray Tolkien's quiet life and his ability to imagine magical creatures and places (Misty Mountains, Mirkwood Forest) in the countryside around his home. The appended illustrator's note points out elements in the pictures not mentioned in the text. An author's note offers more sophisticated facts; a bibliography lists Tolkien biographies for adults.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2016
Grades K-3 As a child growing up in a small British town, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien loved dragons and language. These were passions that lasted his entire life, and McAlister describes the clandestine library club he formed at school, the secret language he created with his cousin, and his eventual job as a professor at Oxford. Wheeler plays on John Ronald's dragon fixation in her detailed ink-and-watercolor illustrations, which are awash with green, blue, and warm peach tones. A slinking dragon silhouette appears in a window, and curls of smoke issuing from a pipe, the steam rising from a bowl of oatmeal, and later the fire belching from guns on a battlefield all evoke a dragon's incendiary breath. John Ronald's fantasy finally takes off in the final pages, where he walks through scenes from The Hobbit until he meetsat long lasta dragon. Detailed back matter offers readers more specific information on the illustrations, Tolkien's life, and, of course, the dragons he created. An imaginative and informative look at this beloved author.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2017
This picture-book biography of J. R. R. Tolkien shows the roots of many themes later found in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. McAlister introduces John as a boy who loves horses, trees, words, and especially dragons. We see young John encountering dragons in Andrew Lang's famous colored Fairy Books, making up a language with his cousin, and eventually fighting in WWI, teaching, and writing stories. Despite Tolkien's sometimes-difficult young life (after his mother died, he and his brother lived with an aunt who didn't like boys ), the prevailing tone is one of warmth and security. Wheeler's illustrations, in what look like line and watercolor, are deftly executed in light colors with carefully placed darker shades that ground her compositions. Swirling shapes and trees silhouetted against pearly skies are reminiscent of Rackham, an appropriate reference given the subject and time period. The book finishes with Tolkien's conception of The Hobbit; the final illustration shows the author discovering the great dragon Smaug in his mountain cave. An author's note fills in the gaps in Tolkien's story, and an illustrator's note points out pictorial references to actual books, locations, and people not mentioned in the text. A Catalog of Tolkien's Dragons, Quotes from Tolkien's Scholarly Writing on Dragons, and a bibliography are appended. lolly robinson

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)