Lenny & Lucy

by Philip C. Stead, Erin E. Stead (Illustrator)

Overview

Peter and his father are moving to a new house beyond the dark unfriendly woods. When they arrive at their new home, Peter wants to turn back. Fortunately, he has Harold for company, but Harold is just a dog and can't help Peter. Scared of the things hidden in the woods, Peter makes a tall pile of pillows. He stiches and sews. He pushes and pulls. And when he is done, he has Lenny, Guardian of the Bridge, to protect him and Harold.

Lenny is a good guard but Peter worries that Lenny will get lonely out by the woods all by himself, so he makes Lucy, who is a good friend. Together, Lenny, Lucy, Peter, and Harold discover that this new place isn't so scary after all.

This title has Common Core connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596439320
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	205,755
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Philip C. Stead is the author and illustrator of A Home for Bird, which received four starred reviews and Hello, My Name is Ruby, which earned three starred reviews. His latest book, Sebastian and the Balloon, has received 2 starred reviews so far.
Erin E. Stead is the illustrator of many picture books, including the acclaimed And Then It's Spring (4 starred reviews) and If You Want to See a Whale (3 starred reviews).
Together, Phil and Erin created A Sick Day for Amos McGee, winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal, as well as Bear Has a Story To Tell, named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. This is their third book together for Roaring Brook Press. They live in a 100-year-old barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

The warmth and large-heartedness on display in the Steads' Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee suffuses every page, but with a darker sensibility. Erin Stead's mesmerizing illustrations subtly evoke the fear and pain of a young boy starting his life over…Lenny & Lucy reminds us that it takes a small army of companions, real and imaginary, to face the dark unknown.

The New York Times Book Review - Margo Rabb

★ 06/29/2015
Peter’s new house is surrounded by dark woods, and he spends a long night worrying about what’s out there. The next morning he gets to work, making a guardian out of blankets and cushions. Peter names his lumpy guardian Lenny and seats him at the house’s wooden bridge, where he can keep the woods “on the other side where they belong.” Concerned that Lenny might be lonely, he makes him a companion, Lucy. Readers watch as Lenny and Lucy take on life in Peter’s mind, becoming the slow-moving, benevolent grandparents that he needs. (Peter’s father is perfectly nice, but preoccupied.) When a brown-skinned girl named Millie appears—she has a plaid skirt, binoculars, and a better attitude toward the woods—Lenny tips his hat and Lucy glows; it’s clear that things are looking up. Erin Stead uses faded grays for the alien forest and warm, quiet color for the story’s living souls. What stands out is the Steads’ (Bear Has a Story to Tell) ability to evoke the wordless intimacy and companionship that every child needs—and will make for themselves, if necessary. Ages 3–7. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

A quiet, comforting tale of finding where you belong.” —Booklist

“A wonderfully creative story of resilience and friendship.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Hypnotic artwork and storytelling invite children to linger in the wild woods of worry and emerge intact, enriched, and utterly invigorated by this complex, contemporary fairy tale.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Erin Stead uses faded grays for the alien forest and warm, quiet color for the story's living souls. What stands out is the Steads' (Bear Has a Story to Tell) ability to evoke the wordless intimacy and companionship that every child needs-and will make for themselves, if necessary.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—Peter and his dog Harold are unhappy to find themselves on a journey with their dad through the dark woods on their way to a new home. Peter thinks the move is a terrible idea and if Harold weren't a dog, even he would do something about it. However, the decision has been made and Peter strongly dislikes the ominous looking trees that sit waiting darkly across the wooden bridge by the new house. The woods could be filled with terrible creatures. That first night, Peter and Harold cannot sleep. The next day, Peter takes action by creating a watchman, Lenny, out of pillows and blankets to guard the bridge. This is better, but something is still not quite right. Lenny needs a friend. So Peter and Harold create Lucy and the four become fast friends, making the home by the woods not so bad after all. Then they welcome Millie, who lives next door and likes looking for owls. This timeless story of a boy using his imagination to cope with loss and acclimate to a new environment is sure to draw in readers of all ages. The text is wonderfully imaginative and the mysterious nature of the woods lends feelings of excitement and intrigue. The illustrations perfectly match the mood of the tale, with the backgrounds created in cold grayscale and the characters popping to life with warm oranges, greens, and blues. VERDICT A wonderfully creative story of resilience and friendship.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

School Library Journal

★ 2015-05-06
Peter, his dad, and his dog, Harold, move to a narrow house just on the other side of "dark unfriendly woods," across a rickety bridge. Smudgy grays describe this new, murky place, communicating all of Peter's uneasiness and uncertainty. Details as sharp as his edgy fears ("Terrible things hid in the trees") ripple through riveting illustrations, in overwhelming floral wallpapers and spiky tree trunks, all bathed in graphite. Colors (yellows, blues, greens, and purples) appear only in spots, buoys in rough waters. Gripping narration unspools the story with the measured, easy command of a Grimm—or a Neil Gaiman. Children might wiggle a bit as they absorb, with grave recognition, the streaming undercurrents of discomfort and loneliness. To combat both these feelings and the things in the woods, Peter builds a pillow man he calls Lenny, Guardian of the Bridge, and, soon after, a friend for him named Lucy. These pillow people, somehow human in both their form (button eyes convey remarkable feeling) and puffy vulnerability, seem swollen with acute worries. They are the Guardians, after all. Subtly, quietly, Lenny and Lucy eventually move a bit, lifting their hats to a neighbor girl named Millie, who comes to Peter bringing binoculars, marshmallows, and the unspoken promise of friendship. Hypnotic artwork and storytelling invite children to linger in the wild woods of worry and emerge intact, enriched, and utterly invigorated by this complex, contemporary fairy tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews