Roverandom

For a little kid, losing a favorite toy is downright traumatic. So in 1925, when four-year-old Michael lost his little toy dog on the beach, fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien made up a story to comfort his son. It explained away the loss of the toy, and wove a magical story around a little dog named Rover.Rover is an ordinary little puppy near the seaside in England, until he runs into a grumpy old man and ends up biting off part of his pants. The old man happens to be a wizard (Artaxerxes by name), and promptly transforms Rover into a toy dog (and no, I don't mean a tiny dog -- I mean a real toy). Rover subsequently gets picked up and sold to some little boys (presumably the Tolkien kids).Fortunately, Rover encounters another magical being, a crusty, kindly sand-wizard named Psamathos. That wizard, in turn, gets Rover (who is renamed Roverandom) flown to the moon, where he spends time with the Man in the Moon and his winged dog Rover. And then he's heading off to encounter a talking whale, a mer-dog, a sea serpent -- and a dragon. Like the vastly underrated "Farmer Giles of Ham," "Roverandom" is a charming little bit of whimsy. No deep themes, no epic clashes, not even really a villain. The writing is charming and magical, with phrases like "There was a cold wind blowing off the North Star" sprinkled through it. It almost gives the feeling of being in another world. Best of all, in the middle of the book are Tolkien's own illustrations, cute little drawings and ethereal paintings.Rover is well-named, since his adventures are all over the map and don't really progress from one to the other. It's merely a cute little dog roaming over the moon, the ocean, and the land, conversing with shrimps and bothering wizards. He's an outspoken little guy, but likeable. The grumpy wizards are also excellently done, reminiscent of Gandalf.While "Roverandom" is a book aimed at children, adults may enjoy the whimsical humor and beautiful writing. A charming and timeless story.

Nor, do I think, was it intended to be. There is no battle between Good and Evil. The characters are not larger than life. It is not a morality tale (unless you're in the habit of biting the trousers of strange wizards). This story seemed to me more A.A. Milne than Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. The title is perfect. The adventures of Rover are pretty darn random. But you've ever worked with first graders, you know that a child's world (and mind) is filled with randomness. The humor is delightfully British. Take for instance, this excerpt in which Rover (after being turned into a toy and bought by the mother) is taken home in a bag with various other purchased items (bear in mind that, at this early point in the story, Rover is a rather cheeky little pup):"Rover soon managed to wriggle his head out of the paper. He smelt cake. But he found he could not get at it; and right down there among the paper bags he growled a little toy growl. Only the shrimps heard him, and they asked him what was the matter. He told them all about it, and expected them to be very sorry for him, but they only said: 'How would you like to be boiled? Have you ever been boiled?''No! I have never been boiled, as far as I remember,' said Rover, 'though I have sometimes been bathed, and that is not particularly nice. But I expect boiling isn't half as bad as being bewitched.''Then you have certainly never been boiled,' they answered. 'You know nothing about it. It's the very worst thing that could happen to anyone - we are still red with rage at the very idea.'Rover did not like the shrimps, so he said: 'Never mind, they will soon eat you up, and I shall sit and watch them!' After that the shrimps had no more to say to him, and he was left to lie and wonder what sort of people had bought him."Yes, this is a children's book. But I bought and read it halfway through a very grueling masters program, and it was just the escape from academia that I needed. It's absurd, and silly, and light-hearted, and absolutely wonderful. I recommend it for children of all ages, especially the grown up children who need a quick breath of magic to liven up the reality of adulthood.

I quite enjoyed Roverandum and thought it very enchanting and pleasant.It had lovely descriptions and very pleasing and interesting characters. Some may think it too cute or rather pale beside of The Lord of the Rings but you have to remember that this story was orginally written for a child.It reminded me of the Doctor Dolittle books which have also been called rather whimsy and cute. Anyway Roverandum is a nice little story, pure humor and enchantment.

To those who would criticize this lovable little book I say, "Understand a work before you judge it." Maybe you just didn't know, but Tolkien wrote this book to be read aloud to small children. Similarly, The Hobbit was actually written to be read with children. Roverandom is NOT Lord of the Rings, but it is a very good, enthralling little story...

What a treat! The unpublished works of favorite authors nearly always disappoint. I pick them up in hopes of experiencing a fresh taste at an old table, only to find kitchen scraps intended for the garbage heap. This was not so with Roverandom. The story is a delight. The word play is delicious, with lots of rhyme, rhythm and rutabagas. Children love words like Persia and Pershore, Psamathos or Roverandom, for that matter, that they can roll around in their mouths like a handful of jelly beans. These remind me of the word play in the Alice books or a marvelous picture book I once read to my nephew about a woman named Euphonia. (I wish I could find it, or at least remember the title.) This is a children's book. However, it does not talk down to children, and it has lots of literary references most nine-year-olds would miss. These can be enjoyed by the older reader with a wink from Tolkien. I am at the awkward age. My children, in High school and collage, are too big or too busy to have children's books read to them. And I do not yet have grandchildren to regale with the wonder of books. When I grow out of this stage, Roverandom will certainly be on my list. Until then it makes splendid reading for a Summer afternoon.