The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012. ISBN 9780857079442.
'Morris Lessmore loved words. He loved stories. He loved books. His
life was a book of his own writing, one orderly page after another.
He would open it every morning and write of his joys and sorrows, of
all that he knew and everything he hoped for.' Dressed in a dapper
brown suit, he would sit on the balcony of his hotel room,
surrounded by books read, to-be-read and to-read-again, and write
his beloved story. Until, one day, in something reminiscent of the
tornado in The Wizard of Oz, his world is turned upside down and
everything he knows is scattered, even the words of his book. Sadly,
bemused and confused, he wanders through a dark and colourless world
looking down in deep depression. Until, 'a happy bit of happenstance
came his way' and he looks up, to see a lovely lady drifting above
him pulled along by 'a festive squadron of flying books'. Knowing
that all he needed was a good story, she sent him her favourite . .
. leading him onto a whole new chapter of his life as he discovers
the treasures of a library and how it helps him and those around him
. . .
Reviewing a book that won an Oscar in 2011 for Best Animated Short
Film and was an acclaimed animated app, both before it made its
print debut is somewhat daunting for what can I say that hasn't
already been said? But such is my conviction that this book must be
on your shelves, I felt I had to bring it to your attention. To
quote Shanetia P. Clark's review from the Nerdy Book Club (founded
by Donalyn Miller of The Book Whisperer), 'This carefully crafted
tale needs to be on display in every classroom, every library, and
every home. It illuminates the importance of sharing great stories
with one another, the joy of being caught up in a story; and the
transactional connection between the written word and reader. The
illustrations, too, tell a beautiful story and work in concert with
the written text.'
It would be the perfect title to start a new school year of reading
- for the younger students to introduce them to the magic of story
and for older students to delve deeper than reading along the lines
to reading between and beyond. To help you get started there are
some questions
to ask and some activities to do. YouTube has a range of
clips that bring the story to life; the app is available through
iTunes and there is even one called the IMAG-N-O-THON which brings
the pages of the book alive when they are viewed through an iPad 2/3
or an iPhone!
If you are not yet familiar with this beautiful story and its
equally rich and stunning illustrations, you need to be. If you have
it on your shelves but have forgotten about it, then bring it out
and start with a winner.
Barbara Braxton