The Hobbit: A 3-D Pop-Up Adventure (Hardcover)

by J. R. R. Tolkien (Author), John Howe (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Delve into the incredible world of hobbits, wizards, and dragons in this exceptional visual adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic fantasy epic The Hobbit. This innovative pop-up book transports hero Bilbo Baggins, a small, quiet hobbit, through five adventures from the novel. Featuring beautiful illustrations, intricate paper engineering, and pull-out scrolls with excerpts, this unique edition is the perfect introduction to Tolkien's timeless tale and a must-have collectible for Hobbit fans of all ages.

About the Author
John Howe is the illustrator of a number of children's books. His artwork has been featured in a variety of J. R. R. Tolkien novelties, including New Line Cinema's forthcoming Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Mr. Howe lives in Switzerland.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 12 pages
• Publisher: HarperFestival (October 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0694014362
• ISBN-13: 978-0694014361
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,185,959 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars How Disappointing!, January 19, 2000

By	Lampster (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I saw the cover with the marvelous John Howe illustration of Smaug, the dragon, and the gold leaf trim with the Tolkein runes, I exptected a lot. Apparently I expected too much. The illustrations are excellent, vintage Howe, and the "pop-up" effects are better than average (I have kids, I've seen some poor attempts at pop-up.) But for some reason they didn't think to include the story! Each page has a pull out card that includes actual Tolkien text to "set the scene" of each illustration, but there is no context, no sense of story at all. These are simply unrelated images that somehow tie in to a story. My 4-year-old daughter was first excited by the pictures, and anxious to pull the tabs and wiggle the pictures, then confused by the big words, then bored by the whole thing. After reading her the whole book as a bedtime story, she was thouroughly un-impressed. So was I. I have been waiting a long time to have a children's version of the story I could introduce to my children. I guess I'll wait a little longer.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable pop-ups, no story, February 18, 2001

By	audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This book was both a pleasure and a disappointment. There are only five scenes depicted -- the dwarves come to Bilbo's house, Bilbo riddles with Gollum, the spiders, Smaug in his lair, the Eagles' arrival at the last battle -- but they are magnificent.

The artist, John Howe, did remarkable work, but he needed some support here. The only text is a few excerpted paragraphs. This book would get a child interested in pop-ups but not necessarily in The Hobbit.

14 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Detail, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This pop-up book of the beloved classic is very imagnative and the details are really amazing. I highly recommend this book for both children and Tolkien fans!