Module 1: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Book Summary:

This is a story about Morris Lessmore and his love of books. He loves words and stories. He sits daily and writes his joys and sorrows in a book of his own. One day his life is disrupted and everything is blown away in the wind. He is at a loss at what to do when he comes upon a lady being pulled by flying books. He is led to a building where a lot of books live. Morris spent his life reading and taking care of the books. He lived among his friends for many years and shared them with many others who came to visit. He became an old man and at last had filled his book, he knew now it was time to move on. He flew away with flying books, leaving the other books alone until the day a little girl arrives to take care of them.

APA Reference of Book:

Joyce, W. (2012). The fantastic flying books of mr. morris lessmore. New York:     Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

This was a beautiful story about the love and importance of reading books. The story is perfectly told and the illustrations are exquisite. The author tells the story in a way that touches the reader and gets straight to the heart. This is a story that will resonate with new and old readers alike. An excellent addition to the reading of the book is the Academy Award winning short film that inspired this book. Both the book and film are inspiring and uplifting, they brought me an array of emotions as I read. I absolutely loved this book, so much so I had to purchase it for my personal collection.

Professional Review:

Ironically, this book in praise of books first appeared as a much-praised iPad app and Academy Award–winning animated short film.

The story, in a nutshell, concerns the titular book-loving Mr. Morris Lessmore, whose personal library is blown away in a terrible wind but who finds meaning caring for the books he finds in a marvelous library. Filled with both literary (Shakespeare, Humpty-Dumpty) and film references (The Wizard of Oz, The Red Balloon and Buster Keaton), the picture book version of Joyce's story has a quiet contemplative charm that demonstrates the continuing allure of the printed page. Paradoxically, the animated books of the film and app are captured as though in a series of frozen frames. The motif of the bound, printed book is everywhere. Even the furnishings and architectural details of the old-fashioned library in which the books “nest” like flying birds recall the codex. The unifying metaphor of life as story is a powerful one, as is the theme of the transformative power of books. The emphasis on connecting readers and books and the care of books pays homage to librarianship. Rich in allusions (“Less is More”) and brilliant in depicting the passage of time (images conflate times of day, seasons and years), Joyce’s work will inspire contemplation of the power of the book in its many forms.

As triumphant in book form as in animated and interactive ones. (Picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews. (2012, April 25). [Review of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, by William Joyce]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/william-joyce/fantastic-flying-books-mr-morris-lessmore-joyce/

Library Uses:

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce would be useful when discussing the importance of reading with students. It would be good to use with any grade level. In sixth grade when discussing good readers and reading strategies, students would benefit from hearing and seeing this story.