Because, Imagination!

We ordered the old Hobbit cartoon from Amazon last week. I wanted to finish reading the book before Shane saw it. 

I can't recommend it to any adult who's not already a fan or blinded by nostalgia, but it's great for a kid Shane's age. I like that Shane's gotten to read the book, imagine the characters on his own, and then see the Lego Hobbit video game and the cartoon. He's a science kid, so I'm hoping to juice up his imagination! It's fun to share things from my childhood with Shane. I saw the cartoon long before I ever read the book.

I refuse to show him the new movies. I want the kid to grow up knowing right from wrong. It's wrong to turn a 300 page book journey into a 9 hour movie cgi battle. 

There, But Not Yet Back Again

A month has passed and we're almost in Mirkwood. I could tell after the initial reading, Shane would require an abridged version. I skipped to the trolls and added funny voices the next read. 

I know there's still a bunch that goes over Shane's head. He doesn't have any background troll knowledge and the vocabulary is not typical American 5-year old. 

So, sometimes I stop to ask questions or summarize. 

"Do you know what menacing means?"

Shane shook his head.

"Scary or about to hurt you."

"Ooohh....."

Other times, I doodle.

I never said I was an artist. Shane doesn't have a lot of patience either. He wouldn't want me to take the time to really get the scale or look up what the correct Gondorian heraldry/armor might be.

It's a good break from listening for him. It also gives me something to do when we're drawing tornadoes and I want to think of something else.

Saturday night, the Lord of the Eagles rescued the party from burning trees.

And then Bilbo had to hang on to Dori's boot or fall far below. (Note: "Hey! That's one of my tornadoes!" I don't waste paper).

Shane must be picking up some of it. He drew his own picture.

Beorn came along Sunday morning. 

I think it's important to let Shane imagine some of this stuff before he sees anything similar on TV. I want to watch the cartoon and then the Lord of the Rings with him eventually, but after he's got an imagination workout.