The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

They say this story is for ages 4 and up, but don't let that keep you from buying it for yourself. As an English major and lover of anything book related, I jumped at the chance to own a copy of this. It's a beautiful story about loving books and how they love you back, as well as the tale of a man's journey to write his own story. I'm thinking about buying a copy for a friend of mine (a fellow English major and soon to be teacher) who just graduated college, as well as a copy for my best friend's young son because the story can be enjoyed by both of them! The video (and storybook app) appeared before the book, so the description "The book that inspired the Academy Award--winning short film" seems a bit inaccurate--unless it is referring to the storybook app, which is possible. Anyways after I saw the video (It is 15 minutes long and well worth the watching-- for free on Youtube, or if you want to support the creators and encourage them to create more lovely videos and books, you can purchase it on Itunes for only a few dollars*), I knew it would win Best Animated Short Film at the Academy Awards. The video is accompanied by music, but there isn't any dialogue. The book differs from the film in that there is text for the reader to enjoy. Though it is possible to understand the story by just looking at the beautiful illustrations, the text gives that extra boost that the music from the film had been. The book is also faithful to the film's story, and there was only one part of the video that didn't seem to make it into the book (the scene where Morris Lessmore binds up an old book), but it doesn't take away from one's enjoyment of the story. It may be difficult to read without thinking of Hurricane Katrina or other areas devastated by natural disasters as Lessmore's world is turned upside down, or of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" as Lessmore goes from black and white to color. But overall I recommend this book for anyone. I don't think you'll be disappointed. (The hardcover book does come with the pictured gold circle saying "the story that inspired the Academy Award winning short film," but this is a sticker that is meant to be removed, and I easily took it off my book without any residue left behind or damage done to the book.) *Edited 6/2012 to add that the video is available for purchase on Itunes

„The flying books of Mr. Morris Lessmore“ is one of these books I put on my wishlist weeks ago and thought about purchasing it every day… The oscar-winning short film by author William Joyce and the book being a tribute to librarian pioneer Bill Morris, the pioneer of children’s book publishing, finally convinced me. I got the book in the mail today and started reading immediately. And what can I say? „The flying books of Mr. Morris Lessmore“ is as wonderful and magical as I expected. But what else is to be expected with so many personal connections author William Joyce has with this story… But let’s come to that later. Mr. Lessmore is a person of order – his life “was a book of his own writing, one orderly page after another.” The world how he knew it comes to an end when he loses his whole library in a terrible storm… As a book lover Mr. Morris Lessmore is devasted. Could he guess that this is just the beginning of his story – and the beginning of Bill Morris’ literary references? The almost magical appearance of a women, carried by flying books, who lends her a Humpty-Dumpty-themed book, leads him to a library, where Mr. Morris Lessmore rediscovers the purpose of his life: Caring for books, “gently fixing those with fragile bindings and unfolding the dog-eared pages of others.” He shares the story of his books with others. He brings them to life. This picture book is more than a children’s book. It might bring the love of reading to every child, but every book lover can identify himself with the slightly melancholy men, whose best friend is a book. „The flying books of Mr. Morris Lessmore“ is a truly magical book, from the meaningful story full of references and memorable quotes to the captivating illustrations. It’s not surprising that it’s based on real characters and on William Joyce’s own experiences when losing his home during hurricane Katrina. The author saw firsthand the power of stories as he visited children, who lost everything in the storm. “And so our story ends as it began – with a book.”

The perfect gift: thoughtful and truly special. These books feel like treasures you give not just to be read, but to be kept, cherished, and remembered.

📚✨ William Joyce's masterpiece is a celebration of storytelling, the transformative power of books, and the profound impact literature can have on our lives. The narrative, while seemingly simple, carries profound themes that resonate on a deeply emotional level. Morris Lessmore's journey, from the joy of discovering the magic within books to the bittersweet realization of passing on stories, is a poignant exploration of the human connection to literature. The book beautifully captures the cyclical nature of storytelling, where one generation passes the magic of books to the next. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is not just a children's book; it's a timeless work of art that transcends age boundaries. In the end, it's not just a story about flying books but a reflection on the enduring power of storytelling to uplift, inspire, and connect us across generations. A true masterpiece that deserves a place on every bookshelf and in the hearts of readers who appreciate the magic found within the pages of a good book. 🌈📖💫

I simply cannot say enough good things about this breathtaking book! As a storyteller, librarian and elementary school teacher I have used this book countless times with children of all ages from 3-11. The story is poignant and the pictures are truly captivating for all who flip through the book. I have created lesson plans in a variety of subjects to tie in with this book and have found that my students continue discussing different facets of the book long after reading. I also like to show the Academy Award winning short film based on the book during the unit. The film is silent, but brings the pictures to life in such an extraordinary way that you will not notice the lack of dialogue. If you want to instill a love of reading, books, libraries and librarians in your family please pick up and share a copy of this book. You will not regret it!

Really nicely made and good quality. Can't believe the hardback was way cheaper than the paperback

I've found Amazon's list of 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime to be such a terrific source for me to refer to in building the children's library we began for our oldest grandson nine years ago and have consistently added to over the years (as we've welcomed three more grandchildren) - it's been an invaluable tool in both reminding me of my own childhood favorites or those I'd read to my sons that had slipped out of my memory banks, as well as keeping up with newer releases. But this one... wow. Not only did I purchase this for our grandkids, but I can see myself purchasing it many times over as a source of comfort to those who've recently lost - or are about to lose - someone special in their lives. WELL worth its imprinted $18.99 US price. Believe this is the first time I've purchased a book that was published AFTER the release of a film - in this case, the 2011 Academy Award winner for animated short film. You can certainly see the similarity in appearance between the film's/book's title character and silent film actor Buster Keaton, with the storm scenes in it having been inspired by the actor's "Steamboat Bill, Jr." movie, and there are several pages that DO remind you of scenes straight out of "The Wizard of Oz", especially a page with Morris standing at a fence with dark skies, ominous clouds and toppled over houses behind him, or the one where he sits in front of an upside down house. (I hear Hurricane Katrina served as additional inspiration.) Among his many books, Morris lives contentedly while penning his own life's journal, containing "his joys and sorrows, of all that he knew and everything that he hoped for," until one day tornado-force winds blow everything to smitherines ("even the words of his book.") He feels quite lost, until he sees a lady being pulled through the air by a bunch of flying books on strings; she gives him one of her books, which leads him to a library-type building where all of the flying books "nested" and where he could hear - I absolutely love William Joyce's way with words! - "the faint chatter of a thousand different stories, as if each book was whispering an invitation to adventure." Morris becomes the custodian of the books, in all of their wide varieties of content and stages of condition; as time passed and he grew old, he was rewarded for the care he'd taken of them by their being his faithful companions, until one day when he decided it was time for him to "move on". The books are sad for the loss of his companionship, but he assures them as he leaves that he'll carry them all within his heart. Morris flies away, leaving behind his own journal... which ends up in the hands of a young girl, and the journey begins anew. I'm not one given easily to tears, but my cheeks bore the evidence as I finished this book. When you look at the "library" each of us is a custodian of - with each "book" representing the individual stories of our family members, friends, etc. - the care that we give to them will always be returned to us in some form. From what I've read, Joyce wrote this story while on a flight to visit his mentor, children's books publisher William Morris... Morris passed away a few days after he read it to him. While obviously a magical book for children who will take its story literally, this will be my "go-to" book for so many situations - what a beautiful and comforting message for someone with a terminal illness, for those grieving the loss of a loved one, etc. As Morris says, "Everyone's story matters."

Fun to read

It is a wonderful book to read together with the students in school to encourage reading and love of books especially among non-native English speakers. The story is quite bizarre, but entertaining.

This is such a beautiful book about the wonder of books! It’s a great books for children, adults and future writers.

I first heard about this book at a conference some years ago when they were talking about interactive apps, and at that time it was a big hit - so big that it was then realeased as a book and then as a short film when it also won an Academy Award for short film. At last I've seen the book and it's just as wonderful as described. Morris Lessmore is a lover of books from a young man and keeps his own books of words, but one day a storm comes and scatters everything - so he starts to wander and meets a flying lady who then leads him on to a house of books - a library. He cared for the books, passed on good stories and his favourites to others to enjoy and started a new book of his own. The years pass and finally he comes to the final page of his book and realises it's time to move on and for a while the books are alone.That's until a young girl appears and so the story begins again ........ with the opening of a book. Inventive, sad, beautifully illustrated and a good advocate for libraries and books

Lo que NO me gustó es que NO recibí físicamente el libro!! Sólo acceso a una biblioteca virtual! Esto NO me interesa y en la página de compra NO se explica que no recibiré físicamente el libro Cómo puedo corregir esto???

Um dos livros mais lindos que temos. Pena não ter no mercado editorial brasileiro.