Title: House where Rover began his adventures as a toy
Artist: J.R.R. Tolkien

1927

In 1925, whilst on holiday in Filey, Tolkien told his three young sons the tale of Rover, a boisterous, young puppy who was turned into a toy after biting a passing wizard. Two years later Tolkien drew this illustration for his youngest son, Christopher. The story, which became Roverandom, was published posthumously in 1998 accompanied by Tolkien's illustrations.

MS. Tolkien Drawings 89, fol. 2. Reproduced with kind permission of The Tolkien Estate Limited for the Bodleian Libraries exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth.

© The Tolkien Trust 1992