consumer guides

THE VISUAL COMPANION includes a fold-out map of Middle Earth along with some breathtakingly scary and some truly beautiful still shots from the film, with a running narrative throughout. But this is a very short mini-history summation of the plot, and in NO WAY should you miss the splendor of the original books. But if you're a fan of the movie and you want to re-live it, or if you want a quick review of the story before you see the movie, do take a look at this beautiful book. Also check out the official movie guide for background info on the making of the movie.

I've seen the movie twice in the first week it was released and have read LOTR several times including once aloud to my teenage sons. Pick this book up along with your own copy of LOTR and begin reading Tolkein aloud to your children. Parents make the best visual companions! Turn off the TV this week and read aloud to your kids. If you've taken them to see "The Fellowship of the Rings" (I would advise children over the age of 10), then read Tolkein to them. Keep Fisher's resource handy as an occasional companion as you read. Most volumes of Tolkein come with maps. This Tolkein visual companion is no different, with the map keyed to the movie. There is a danger in all this though. Your children's imagination sparked by Tolkein's genius descriptive writing will create an even more detailed and wonderful Middle Earth than the blockbuster movie was able to create. Use this visual companion sparingly with your children. Encourage their imagination to fill the big screen of their minds with Tolkein's epic tale. Parents play a key role in all this.

For two books with many more creative ideas for parents, look into "The Family Cloister" and "The Christian Family Toolbox", both by David Robinson and available on Amazon.com.

I have loved Lord of the Rings forever so when I saw this book, I HAD to have it. My impulses were right, this book was fantastic! It had incredible pictures, wonderful character analysis, and cool, interesting movie tidbits. For a movie as unforgettable as the Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring visual companion is the only book that could possibly do it justice is The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion. This book is a must for any Lord of the Rings Fan!