Morris Lessmore loves words, stories and books, and after a tornado carries him to another land, dreary and colorless, he finds a single book in color that leads him to an amazing library where, he learns, the books need him as much as he needs them.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a beautiful book, both in art and story. It follows the life of Morris as he loves and loses and finds books again. Plot-wise, readers get to experience something concretely magical, as Morris literally befriends sentient flying books. However, the tale is also clearly metaphoric, exploring the ways in which books can heal readers, cheer them, teach them new things, and keep them company. The layered nature of the story, as well as some darker moments, may make it more suitable for older children.
The artwork complements this complex story perfectly. The illustrations are rich and detailed, exactly the type of the pictures I would have loved to spend forever looking at as a child. Many of the pages are filled with color. Other pages, depicting darker events like the loss of Mr. Morris Lessmore’s home, are done in grayscale to better fit the tone. All the pages maintain a touch of whimsy, however, keeping the tale from being too depressing for younger readers.
A recommended book for all who love reading, both young and old.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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16 March, 2014:
Finished reading
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16 March, 2014:
Reviewed