Skip to main content

Lenny & Lucy

Lenny & Lucy
By Philip C. Stead Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Roaring Brook Press, 2015. Picture Book.

Peter and his father move into a house just over a bridge surrounded by dark woods. The woods make Peter a bit uneasy, not knowing what may be hiding in them. He and his beloved dog Henry decide they need protection from whatever might be lurking in the woods. Peter gets to work creating Lenny, a man made out of pillows, blankets, and chair cushions to guard the bridge. Peter and Henry stand back and admire their work and are sure Lenny will do a great job protecting them. Watching Lenny from their window, Peter and Henry begin to worry if Lenny is lonely, outside all by himself with no one to talk to. Peter knows exactly what to do and begins constructing Lucy, a companion for Lenny. With the help of Lenny, Lucy, and a surprising new friend along the way, Peter and Henry begin to realize that maybe the woods aren't as scary as they seem. Readers will be drawn into this book by its charming illustrations with grey-scale backdrops and pops of faded yellows, blues, and oranges highlighting main elements of the story. The text has a cozy, relaxed feeling and the dark woods add an element of mystery and curiosity. Readers get to watch as Lenny and Lucy come to life in Peter's eyes and see how they help him overcome his fear of the woods and cope with his new and unfamiliar home.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

Review: The Enigma Girls

  The Enigma Girls By Candace Fleming New York: Scholastic Focus, 2024. Informational. 371 pages. If you have an interest in little known aspects of history or in World War II in particular, this book is for you. The Enigma Girls tells the story of 10 young women who worked at Station X at Bletchley Park in England helping to break ciphers during World War II. Each of the girls grew up in different circumstances, and thus, each worked at in a different part of Station X cracking codes. The reader learns about how Station X worked through the stories of each of the girls. Whether it was transcribing the Morse code messages that the Germans were sending to their armies or decoding, translating, or paraphrasing messages, each girl had a part to play. The stories of the girls are intermixed with plenty of photographs as well as special chapters about how to decode various types of ciphers. Learning about Station X through the eyes of the girls that worked there helps the reader gain a huma

Review: The Hidden Dragon

The Hidden Dragon By Melissa Marr New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. Fiction. 161 pages. Three children, Otter, London, and Sophia, live in a fantasy world with dragons. Otter (short for Ottilie) is the daughter of a ship captain, and she loves the sea and its dragons. London is a stowaway boy, searching for a new life full of adventure. Sophia lives in a thief house with other children, all dedicated to helping each other and trying to make the kingdom better. As trouble begins to brew both on land and at sea, these three heroes realize that maybe it's up to the kids to make things right. Readers experience the book from multiple perspectives, and with a bit of mystery and adventure, this is an amazing fantasy read. With the inspiring message that children truly can make a difference, readers will enjoy how each character fights for what's right, even when it's inconvenient. The ending is resolved a little quickly, but this is a great read for all "hatchlings."