Kids Books About JRR Tolkien

The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien

By Caroline McAlister, Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

John Ronald loved dragons. He liked to imagine dragons when he was alone, and with his friends, and especially when life got hard or sad. After his mother died and he had to live with a cold-hearted aunt, he looked for dragons. He searched for them at his boarding school. And when he fought in a Great War, he felt as if terrible, destructive dragons were everywhere. But he never actually found one, until one day, when he was a grown man but still very much a boy at heart, when he decided to create one of his own. John Ronald’s Dragons, a picture book biography by Caroline McAlister and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, introduces the beloved creator of Middle Earth and author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to a new generation of children who see magic in the world around them. 4-8 years

Goodnight Hobbiton

By Steven Giesbrecht, Illustrated by Anika Loewen

With all the magic of that wondrous night when thirteen uninvited Dwarves visited Hobbiton, comes Goodnight Hobbiton. Relive that memorable night in the classic style of Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This book is a parody and has not been prepared, approved, or authorized by the creators of Goodnight Moon or the Hobbit, their heirs or representatives. Baby-3 years

J.R.R. Tolkien (Little People, Big Dreams)

By Maria Isabel Vegara, Illustrated by Aaron Cushley

Little John experienced lots of change in his life from a young age. Moving from South Africa to a big city in England, he longed for the nature he grew up around. After the death of both of his parents, John found comfort in telling stories and building imaginary worlds with his friends. And he continued to tell stories for the rest of his life, creating epic tales of hobbits, dwarves, elves, and wizards as J. R. R. Tolkien. This book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the writer’s life. 6-8 years

J.R.R. Tolkien for Kids: His Life and Writings, with 21 Activities

By Simonetta Carr

J. R. R. Tolkien for Kids takes young readers through the exciting life of the man who created amazing new worlds and helps kids discover how he could see them. Explore the personal experiences and subjects that inspired Tolkien’s stories through hands-on activities, and learn how he influenced his contemporaries as well as later writers—like you! 9-12 years

• Make a Shadowy Dragon Come to Life
• Make a Batch of Marmalade
• Rewrite an Ancient Tale
• Invent a New Code
• Paint an Enchanted Forest
• Draw a Map for a Story
• Make Mushroom Toast
• Turn Your Friends into Heroes

Who Was J.R.R. Tolkien

By Pam Pollack & Meg Belviso, Illustrated by Jonathan Moore

Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure. Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officer in World War I as well as in his fantasy writing. By creating alternate universes and inventing languages in his work he demonstrated that imaginary realms were not just for children. Fondly remembered as the “Father of High Fantasy,” Tolkien’s books have inspired blockbuster movies and legions of fans. 8-12 years

The Mythmakers:

The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien

A Graphic Novel

By John Hendrix 

Through narrative and comic panels, Hendrix chronicles Lewis and Tolkien’s near-idyllic childhoods, then moves on to both men’s horrific tour of the trenches of World War I to their first meeting at Oxford in 1929, and then the foreshadowing, action, and aftermath of World War II.

He reveals the shared story of their friendship, in all its ups and downs, that gave them confidence to venture beyond academic concerns (fantasy wasn’t considered suitable for adult reading, but the domain of children), shaped major story/theme ideas, and shifted their ideas about the potential of mythology and faith.

The Mythmakers also shows the camaraderie and the importance of the social/literary circle of friends called the Inklings, and how the friendship of these two great men fell apart and came together again. Hendrix concludes describing how the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had re-enchanted the 20th century, after two World Wars. 12 and up

Painting Worder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

By Katie Wray Schon

Young Pauline Baynes lives in India, a land of towering mountains, sparkling lakes, and bright flowers. She even has a pet monkey that joins her for tea.

Then her life takes a turn, and Pauline is sent to dreary England. Books bring light and color to her world, so she sets out to paint the stories she loves. Years later, two iconic authors see her paintings and know she’s the illustrator for their stories―of fire-breathing dragons, towering giants, a golden lion, and four brave children.

Follow Pauline into some of the most beloved and prominent landscapes in all of children’s literature: the magical lands of J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. 7-10 years

The book descriptions are primarily from the publisher. 

If you like this post, please consider sharing it. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

You may like: Kids Books About C.S. Lewis, https://barbaralowell.com/kids-books-about-c-s-lewis/

 

Kids Books About C.S. Lewis

Finding Narnia: The Story of C.S. Lewis and His Brother

By Caroline McAlister, Illustrated by Jessica Lanan

Before C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, he was a young boy named Jack. He spent his days dreaming up stories of other worlds filled with knights, castles, and talking animals. His brother, Warnie, spent his days imagining worlds filled with trains, boats, and technology. One rainy day, they found a wardrobe in a little room next to the attic, and they wondered, What if the wardrobe had no end?

Years later, Jack began to think about what could be beyond that wardrobe, and about a girl named Lucy and her siblings. This picture book biography introduces the beloved creator of The Chronicles of Narnia to a new generation of children who see hidden magic in the world around them. 4-8 years

Through the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Created Narnia

By Lina Maslo

As a child, Clive Staples Lewis
imagined many things . . .

heroic animals

and knights in armor

and a faraway land called Boxen.

He even thought of a new name for
himself—at four years old, he decided he was more of a Jack. As he grew up, though, Jack found that the real world was not as just as the one in his imagination. No magic could heal the sick or stop a war, and a bully’s words could pierce as sharply as a sword. So Jack withdrew into books and eventually became a well-known
author for adults.

But he never forgot the epic tales
of his boyhood, and one day a young girl’s question about an old family
wardrobe inspired him to write a children’s story about a world hidden beyond
its fur coats . . . a world of fauns and queens and a lion named Aslan. A world
of battles between good and evil, where people learned courage and love and
forgiveness. A magical realm called Narnia. 

And the books he would write about
this kingdom would change his life and that of children the world over.
Share this magical nonfiction picture book at home or in the classroom. 4-8 years

 

 

C.S. Lewis: The Boy Who Loved to Ask Big Questions

By Laura Caputo-Wickham, Illustrated by Keila Elm

C.S. Lewis was curious and creative from his earliest days, and this biography walks kids through both fun and formative questions he asked and where they led him. Kids will learn about his famous stories and his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as the suffering he faced when loved ones died and when he was injured in World War I. Most importantly, kids will hear how C.S. Lewis came to answer questions like “Why does God let bad things happen?” and “Is God even real?” 4-7 years

C.S Lewis: The Writer Who Found Joy

By Dan DeWitt, Illustrated by Marcin Piwowarski

The lion, the writer, and the search for joy. Not every author can write about theology, literature, and a talking lion and end up delighting readers for generations. But not every author is C.S. Lewis. This biographical picture book welcomes readers to get to know the man behind Aslan and the magical wardrobe and to experience the joy that fueled his imagination. 4-8 years

Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

By Katie Wray Schon

Just in time for the 75th anniversary (2025) of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe comes Painting Wonder, an enchanting picture book biography about the artist whose illustrations brought the worlds of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien to life.

Young Pauline Baynes lives in India, a land of towering mountains, sparkling lakes, and bright flowers. She even has a pet monkey that joins her for tea.

Then her life takes a turn, and Pauline is sent to dreary England. Books bring light and color to her world, so she sets out to paint the stories she loves. Years later, two iconic authors see her paintings and know she’s the illustrator for their stories―of fire-breathing dragons, towering giants, a golden lion, and four brave children. 7-10 years

C.S. Lewis: The Man Who Gave Us Narnia

By Renee Taft Meloche, Illustrated by Bryan Pollard

The lively imagination of young C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) – or Jack, as he liked to be called – took flight as he spent long hours reading books of magical lands and dreaming up new ones. Those vivid images never left Jack, even when he was faced with the early loss of his mother, the difficulty of boarding school, and the challenges of wartime service.

As a writer, a teacher, and a communicator of powerful Christian truths, the man who gave us Narnia continues to encourage readers around the world. Now Heroes for Young Readers makes C.S. Lewis’s remarkable story available in this picture book all ages will treasure. 8-12 years

C.S. Lewis Story For Kids: Once Upon a Time in Narnia

The Story Teller Who Taught the World to Believe

By Carla D. Murphy

What if imagination wasn’t just pretend, but a doorway to something real?

Before Narnia ever existed, there was a little boy named Jack Lewis who dreamed of magical lands, talking animals, and brave children who could change the world. Through laughter and heartbreak, war and wonder, Jack discovered that stories could heal hearts and open eyes to truth and beauty. This book brings his story to life for young readers, told with warmth, imagination, and timeless lessons about courage, kindness, and believing in the impossible. 7 and up

The Mythmakers:

The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

A Graphic Novel

By John Hendrix

Through narrative and comic panels, John Hendrix chronicles Lewis and Tolkien’s near-idyllic childhoods, then moves on to both men’s horrific tour of the trenches of World War I to their first meeting at Oxford in 1929, and then the foreshadowing, action, and aftermath of World War II.

He reveals the shared story of their friendship, in all its ups and downs, that gave them confidence to venture beyond academic concerns (fantasy wasn’t considered suitable for adult reading, but the domain of children), shaped major story/theme ideas, and shifted their ideas about the potential of mythology and faith.

The Mythmakers also shows the camaraderie and the importance of the social/literary circle of friends called the Inklings, and how the friendship of these two great men fell apart and came together again. Hendrix concludes describing how the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had re-enchanted the 20th century, after two World Wars. 12 and up

The book descriptions are primarily from the publishers.

If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and/or leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

You may like: Kids Books About J.R.R. Tolkien