Floridius Bloom and The Planet of Gloom

by Lorijo Metz, Matt Phelan (Illustrator)

Floridius Bloom has found a source of light on his planet of Gloom and he’s not sharing it with anyone. He’s even built a wall so that no one else can see it! Of course, Floridius is convinced that he needs it for his prize cherriflox to blossom. Not to mention the fact that he’s afraid of the monsters and the wigglyfluffs that lie beyond his wall. But when Floridius meets a curious creature named Zrill who invites him to come out from his self-imposed isolation, Floridius begins to understand that beauty is a thing to be shared . . . and friendship can supply its own kind of light. With warm and comforting illustrations, lilting rhyme, and a life lesson offered with a light touch, this picture book debut for both author and illustrator has all the makings of a classic.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2007

About the author

Lorijo Metz lives with her husband and little brown dog in the great state of Indiana. Though she has a degree in acting and directing, she much prefers the anonymity of the keyboard, allowing her characters to revel in the spotlight while she sits quietly sipping tea or coffee, nibbling on cookies, and dreaming up ways to complicate their lives.

WHEELS, Lorijo's middle-grade, Science Fiction, Adventure, which reviewers say is, "Brilliant," "Whacky, loads of fun," and "...one I know I'll reread," was awarded a stipend from ACX, Amazon's audible division. Look for it on Amazon.com, Audible.com and iTunes in time for the 2014 holiday season.

In 2013, Lorijo made her début as a lyricist. She wrote the lyrics for the title track on PUPPY DOG JIG, performed by children's singer and songwriter Owen Duggan on his newest CD.

You can find out more about Lorijo by visiting one of these sites:

My Website & Blog: https://ljmetz.com
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScifiWriterMom
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorijoMetz

Love, Light, and Laughter :)

Reviews

[Abby Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an spectacular find. I love this story, it reminds me of the Little Prince.

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Floridious Bloom lives on Gloom, a planet that is dark and gloomy except for the bright star that landed where he lives alone. To protect himself from the perceived monsters of Gloom, Floridious spends all of his time constructing a high wall around his star. One day, Zrill a small child-like creature pokes a hole in the wall to peek at the star. When Floridious complains that a brick that Zrill knocked out of the wall hurt his toe, Zrill leads him to his home so his mother can attend to Floridious' injury (mostly imagined). Along the way, Floridious learns that the imagined monsters are actually VERY friendly and that families and mothers are even more special than his little bright star. In the end, Zrill convinces Floridious to tear down the wall and then everyone can enjoy the light and the friendship of others.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of a recluse who builds a wall to hog all the starlight for himself. He realizes that he is lonely and a small friend helps him break down his wall. What bothered me wasn't the message, but the hodge podge writing to convey the way the aliens spoke. It was a bit hard to read.

[Bridget]

Have the audio version