Lenny & Lucy

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

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 stitches 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.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Dogs, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Philip C. Stead is the author of the Caldecott Medal winning book A Sick Day for Amos McGee, also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2010, illustrated by his wife, Erin E. Stead. Together with Erin, he also created Bear Has a Story to Tell, an E.B. White Read-Aloud Award honor book. Philip, also an artist, has written and illustrated several of his own books including Hello, My Name is Ruby, Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat, A Home for Bird, and his debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast, which was applauded by School Library Journal for “its wry humor and illustrations worthy of a Roald Dahl creation.” Philip lives with Erin and their dog, Wednesday, in a 100-year-old barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

[Sam Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to move to Ann Arbor and be best friends with the Steads.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange little book.

The Steads create a very unique tone and view on the page. Quiet and a bit dark, but comforting. The illustrations are almost Gorey-ish. The wallpaper and coloring really remind me of an Edward Gorey world.

Peter, his Dad, and his dog--Harold, move to a new house. Uncertainty, change, and loneliness settle in, but perhaps a few new friends can help.

An original tale with a quirky flavor about how friends can help keep the deep, dark woods on the other side of the bridge (where they belong).

Keep your eyes peeled for the owl too!

Hope you drop in and visit Lenny & Lucy. They’d love to see you! I keep going back again and again.

[M. Lauritano · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a lot of buzz about this new book from the Steads, who previously won the Caldecott for A Sick Day for Amos McGee. People are claiming it has true depth and meaning. If Philip and Erin had some idea for a deeper meaning here, it most certainly is not getting across to me. And depth, subtlety, quiet--these are qualities that I hugely appreciate in picture books.

Reading reviews around the web, I am beginning to feel like I am the only person out there who is not in love with Erin Stead's illustrations. I see that she has good instincts for pattern, color, and texture (although, at times she can overdo it. I like If You Want to See a Whale, but there, the texture begins to just look less fresh and more like distracting technique). It's her drawing style that really leaves me unsatisfied. It doesn't really fit into the category of charmingly naive, nor masterful, just a visually uncomfortable, fussy space in between the two. Amos McGee had a lot of animal characters that were a better fit for her talents. Here, she relies mostly on the human protagonist and he can be a bit stiff at times. Yes, it's all subjective in the end, but I just had to get this off my chest.

If the pictures are murky, the story is murkier. A boy, Peter, moves to a new home. In his loneliness and fear, he builds a pillowman. Then he builds a pillowwoman. Then he makes a friend. All is well. I guess this is a narrative about fear, loneliness, and eventual friendship in a new place, but it is not deep just for briefly touching on those subjects. The woods are supposed to represent fear and anxiety, but it's Lenny and Lucy with their soulless button eyes and lack of mouths that creep me out. Come to think of it, would it not have made more sense for a book that involves the idea of moving to feature a 'protector' made from unpacked cardboard boxes? Anyway, reading from a child's perspective, we are to assume that they are very much alive, moving, posing, feeling pillow people (which isn't to say that either makes a very good character). They are supposed to be protectors, but do little more than stand sit guard. This kid created life (twice!) and he's like "No big deal. Let's sit around and have a double date with my new girlfriend. Have some marshmallows."

What I really don't understand is that Peter's new human friend, Millie, doesn't curiously approach him because he built the pillow people, she just randomly appears. Why not tie these elements together? Millie deserves more page-time, especially when we get a repeat pillowperson creation sequence.

For a book about fear of a new place, we don't get real reasons to be afraid (I think that forest could do more to scare us through text or image). Peter is never really alone, visually or otherwise. He has a dog! And a father! For a book about the joy of making new friends we don't get much in the way of demonstrable acts of friendship. Both Child and Pillowperson do little more than stand in general vicinity to each other. There are many books that touch on these themes in a more active, powerful way. Don't try to fool me into believing that this is rich and subtle, just because very little happens!

I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that Peter has a single father (is he trying to recreate a nuclear family with pillows?), but like much else in this story, it is unexplored.

Two stars for making something that stands out from the crowd and is pretty weird. I support that. I just wish there was more to it.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Erin and Philip Stead. Their collaborations are pure gold. There is a warmth to the illustrations that remind one of vintage childrens books. And I mean the best childrens books. The art is flawless. Lovely, original story.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual tale of a boy and his dog who are a bit nervous about their new house in the country. So nervous, in fact, that they construct huge "guardians" that look like homeless people to keep the dark woods on the other side of the bridge leading to their house. I guess the moral is that friends keep the scary stuff away, but I was really only in this one for the artwork.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh? Same old story, told in a new, bleaker way. So many questions, too: Where's mom? Why is dad so worried, or sad, or whatever? (Are the answers to both that she has recently died or left them?) How did they get so many blankets and pillows in that little car? How could Peter have not considered Millie's house until she just showed up suddenly (I thought I'd skipped a page there). Even the 'happy' ending has no joy or color.

I like subtle and quiet. I like creative and original. This was all those things, but in a bad way.

I do like the binoculars and their significance, though.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything you'd expect from the brilliant husband and wife team of Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead. I found myself wanting to read it again and again, wishing I could sink into these gorgeous spreads and meet the magical Lenny & Lucy. This will pair beautifully with Liz Garton Scanlon's The Good-Pie Party and Eve Bunting and Lauren Castillo's Yard Sale.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are glorious - Erin Stead is amazing - but I'm not sure what I think of the text yet. It's a bit twee. And how many blankets and pillows does that family own, anyway? Did they belong to the absent mother? Are there maybe dead siblings too?

You see what you do, Philip Stead? You make me conjure up dead siblings.

[Vikki VanSickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another tour-de-force from one of my fave picture book pairings. A simple, unadorned and effective text about loneliness and the balm of friendship and imagination. There is a slight undercurrent of the uncanny or unknown, but one that seems apropos to childhood and isn't unnecessarily unsettling. The muted palette and shadowy forests provide the perfect atmosphere for a story that lodges itself in your subconscious and your heart.

[Jj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I know this couple is critically acclaimed and beloved, and I *should* be into their work. But I just can't work up much feeling or interest. I appreciate the artwork and writing, yes, but nothing more. Sorry, Steads. It's not you, it's me. OR IS IT???

[Jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Add me to the crowd who "doesn't get it." The illustrations are lovely - I agree with a couple folks who said they were reminded of Edward Gorey. I can see it if I squint, and that's a good thing. (I adore Gorey.)

The story is very odd. And disjointed. It definitely needs more explanation of what goes on in-between the pages. It's not even that it's trying too hard to be whimsical - maybe exactly the opposite. It's whimsical without trying to be, and as a result the whimsy just sort of spins off into the ether without a plot to latch on to.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Steads are a dynamic duo. The power of Philip's words and Erin's illustrations are fabulous. Lenny & Lucy makes me feel like I'm six again and sitting in the corner of our dusty old public library with Mercer Mayer in my hands. This book has a classic, nostalgic feel for me.

This is such a sweet and beautiful story about friendship and new adventures.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooohhhhhhhh.
This is why everyone has been raving about this book.
The illustrations are gorgeous. I would love to spend the day with Erin Stead and watch her work.
The story made my heart happy.
My favorite Stead collaboration yet!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anxiety, fear, and feeling of isolation a young child fears after moving to a new home are brilliantly depicted in this imaginative, subtle, and comforting picture book.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art, the setting, and the textual cadence, especially at the beginning of the book, are reminiscent of "dark & spooky forest" fairy tales like Hansel & Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood. And, if you peek under the dust jacket, you'll see the "naked" book harkens to those fairy tales too -- the book has more traditional mostly blank, solid-colored, linen boards with a small foil-stamped illustration of the 5 non-parental characters running. Very Little Red Riding Hood -esque.

The illustrations are rather spare overall, but certain elements are heavily detailed and there are still some surprises to spot.

Harold the dog is surprisingly expressive. Harold gets 5 stars from me; the aesthetic of Lenny & Lucy gets only 2 stars. (I find them to be a little creepy.)

Kids who are feeling trepidation about a move, fear of the night / the woods, or other more generalized anxieties might find comfort in this story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter and his family have just moved to a new home. Peter and his dog Harold like the old house better. They imagine terrible things are in the woods behind the house. Then they use pillows and blankets to create "Lenny, the Guardian of the Bridge." Lenny is a wonderful guardian, never moving from his post and not allowing any monsters to cross the bridge. But maybe Lenny is lonely? So they create Lucy.

I love this story of friendship and imagination. I love the illustrations. This is a fairly simple story but it feels magical!

[Poppylou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3✨
This was cute, but I couldn’t help but try and skip to the end as well as bite a nice chunk out of it every now and then.
Sweet message in the end about the helpfulness of imagination and friendship, but ultimately I think the story could have been told a little better. I think Millie didn’t get enough time in the story, like we didn’t really get to see her and Peter’s friendship very much. I would have liked some more development there.

But not a bad one overall💕

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something I like about the Steads’ books. The illustrations are quiet and kind of dark, and I enjoy the style. I don’t really know how I feel about this book though- is there a moral? It seems a little disjointed.

[Abi Los Libros Son Mi Mundo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Angelina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sweet, spare book from the Steads. It’s about overcoming fear of change, defeating loneliness, imagination, and making friends in a new place.

[Mary Caserta (readsbymary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Súper tierno! Le subo una estrella por las ilustraciones, que son una completa maravilla.

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain pairings of author-illustrator that I, quite simply, anticipate and cherish. After my first reading of Caldecott Medal Winner A Sick Day for Amos McGee, I knew that the Steads' joint work would be a pairing that I would always look forward to; their next joint picture book, Bear Has a Story to Tell further cemented that. For their third work together, Lenny & Lucy, the Steads' have crafted another stunning picture book: a gentle, unusual and enchanting work that shines in its story and artwork.

Picture books that I read over and over again, or those that I think and wonder about, are often with undercurrents of whimsy and/or strange. Think of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. The Dark. Black Dog. Or Extra Yarn. Or Where the Wild Things Are. Or This Is Sadie. There are elements in all of the aforementioned which mark the way for closer readings, second or third readings, and studying of the artwork. In Lenny & Lucy, the combination of Erin E. Stead's distinct style and careful palette with Philip C. Stead's softly melancholy yet hopeful story are just right.

At its heart a story about friendship, Lenny & Lucy also approaches subject matters such as fear, loneliness after moving, and hope. When a young boy named Peter and his dependable dog Harold meet their new home, readers are immersed into a world of trees, of quiet, of dark woods, and of unknown 'terrible things'. For their protection, Peter builds Lenny, Guardian of the Bridge, out of pillows and blankets, to keep danger over the bridge and away from their home, deep in the woods. After both Peter and Harold lose sleep at the possibility of Lenny being lonely, Lucy is crafted to keep them all company, leading the way to some marvelous- not so scary- happenings.

Wondrous in style and story, Lenny & Lucy is a terrific picture book that I definitely recommend. Readers who enjoy the work of authors and illustrators such as Mac Barnett, Sara O'Leary, Jon Klassen, Julie Morstad, or Maurice Sendak (whose titles were mentioned above), might especially enjoy this beautiful title.

I received a copy of this title from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: LENNY & LUCY by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead, ill. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, October 2015, 40p., ISBN: 978-1-59643-932-0

“Watching and waiting for a friend to play with
Why have I been alone so long?”
-- The Moody Blues (1969)

“And when they’d finally left the woods and stood safely on the other side of the wooden bridge, Peter said, ‘This house is not as good as our old house. I want to go back.’
But no one heard except for Harold--who was only a dog and couldn’t do much about it (even if he wanted to).”

Peter has moved with his father and his beloved dog Harold to a new house that is just over the bridge from the deep dark woods. Peter knows that terrible things hide in the trees, so from a huge pile of pillows and some blankets, he fabricates Lenny, Guardian of the Bridge. Then he fears that Lenny is lonely, so he creates Lucy from a pile of leaves and blankets. Eventually the quartet--Peter, Harold, Lenny, and Lucy--meet Millie, the girl next door. They all become friends.

The story of a boy coping with the loss of his old surroundings and his fear of the dark woods will resonate with young readers. So many things in a child’s life, such as being forced to move to a new home, are out of his or her control. LENNY & LUCY illustrates how a child can find comfort through his own actions.

Erin Stead illustrates LENNY & LUCY using a process called carbon transfer printing. The illustrations are predominantly shades of gray. The characters are then highlighted in bright shades of tempera, creating a focus on the action amid the gray surroundings. The illustrations are simultaneously atmospheric and lively, bringing blankets and stuffing and a wonderful dog to life. This makes LENNY & LUCY one of the most memorable picture books I’ve read this year.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
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[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are so beautiful, and the story is so sweet. One of my favorites.

[Blackjessamine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dovrebbe trattarsi di un libro per bambini, ma sinceramente credo sia molto più adatto agli adulti. Non che un bimbo non possa capirlo, o che ci siano contenuti non adatti alla sua età, semplicemente credo che tutta la sua poetica, la sua delicatezza, la sua bellezza stia in qualcosa di un po' troppo "artefatto", simbolico, per poter essere apprezzata appieno da un bimbo.
I disegni sono molto belli, un bianco e nero con solo pochi tratti di colore ad evidenziare gli elementi più importanti, ma sono anche molto cupi: è cupo il bosco, ed è giusto, perché deve apparire come un luogo sconosciuto e pericoloso agli occhi del protagonista, ma anche Lenny e Lucy sono in qualche modo cupi, molto malinconici, e lo sono forse troppo per dei bimbi piccoli. Anche l'immagine finale, che dovrebbe rappresentare la sicurezza e il calore dell'amicizia, mi fa in realtà pensare ad un angolino di pace immerso in un deserto incombente, minaccioso, che potrebbe fare irruzione all'improvviso e spazzare via anche quell'unico barlume di serenità. Senza dubbio si tratta di una storia molto bella, una storia che mostra l'importanza dell'amicizia nello sconfiggere solitudine e paura dell'ignoto, ma credo che se io a quattro, cinque anni mi fossi trovata fra le mani questo libriccino, probabilmente ne sarei rimasta vagamente turbata.

[Marfita · Rating 2 out of 5]

A family moves. The young boy, Peter, is nervous about living in a new house so close to the dark woods. His dog, Harold, picks up on this and is nervous too. So Peter creates a large, lumpy pillow person named Lenny to guard the bridge that leads to the woods. When Peter perceives loneliness in Lenny, which also keeps him and his dog from sleeping, he makes another person, this time out of leaves, named Lucy. Eventually, a friendship saves everyone.
The illustrations are mostly grey on buff colored paper with touches of color here and there. While realistic, they suggest more than represent. The woods are really just leafless poles that could be bars. There is nothing out there but a bridge until suddenly there is another child ... and a house right next to Peter's! He didn't notice it. He only looked backward. OMG! Symbolismmmmm!
As someone who moved a lot as a kid, I can almost identify with this, but my parents prepared me well for the moves and I'm pretty self-centered anyway. I have no recollection of that amount of loneliness. I was more likely to be stressed out by the newness and at the same time excited. The one who had the worst trouble with moves, I think, was our dog. He acted out quite a bit and chewed a table leg.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this picture book. Before I even opened the book, I was drawn to the cover art of the wood-paneled car loaded up with this family's possessions and the drive through the tall trees of the forest. And on the back cover, the flowered wallpaper with the sentence "And Millie was a good friend to Peter." That sentence intrigued me, as neither Millie nor Peter's name is in the title.

The book opens with this scene, as you meet Peter, who is very unhappy about this trip. We're not sure about the circumstances that led to this move, but you feel sympathetic to this youngster. I'm glad he had that dog. The story is so heartwarming as he starts building Lenny and Lucy to guard the bridge and house from anything that might come out of the forest. When Millie comes from next door and shares her binoculars and marshmallows, everything seems just about perfect.

This book is very comforting and pleasant to read and the illustrations are terrific. Even before Millie asked if Peter had ever seen an owl, I had already notice the owl that seems to show up on just about every page. I have to get my own copy of this book, for sure!

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

From this author/illustrator pair I expect more than a simple corresponding relationship between text and pictures. Everything in the words is directly given in the pictures, with barely a couple of spots left for imagination and inference of what is happening off page. The story itself is the usual "my parents moved and I don't like the new place" story, with the expected "just wait, you'll find friends" sermon. This theme is very real to me from childhood, but it's not interesting to read unless something makes it super fresh. This just wasn't enough.

The dark background illustrations were a great way to keep the danger and foreboding of the woods in the mind, even as the sudden friendliness of the neighbors took over the narrative. Spare use of color emphasizes what is becoming friendly and known. And the blanket golems the kid made are just neil-gaiman-or-tim-burton creepy! Erin Stead rescued this book.

But please don't let this be seriously in the running for Caldecott!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take it from one who knows, moving is mentally and physically exhausting. The stress from the mess of packing, assignment of duties to willing helpers, phone calls to utilities, banks, mortgage companies, title companies, realtors and moving company personnel seem to be never ending. Getting boxes, shaping boxes, taping boxes, loading boxes, bubble wrapping anything and everything, lifting and carrying are enough of a work-out to earn extra points on the daily exercise chart. Then when you arrive at your destination it all happens again, only in reverse. For children and pets it must be overwhelming.


Each home has good qualities. Each location has reasons for being selected. When the change is made it's hard not to compare. The newness is a mix of excitement and apprehension. The wife and husband team of Erin E. Stead and Philip C. Stead present Lenny & Lucy (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, October 6, 2015), a look at imagination and the magic it invites.

My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...