Bilbo Baggins is one of the most conservative of all hobbits and rarely travels beyond his large, roomy and very dry home in the ground. One day his contentment is disturbed when a wizard and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. It’s the last thing that any sensitive hobbit would want to do, but great benefit eventually results – not only for Bilbo but for all of the hobbits who inhabit Middle Earth – and the hearts of those children and adults who continue to enjoy a magical fantasy.