The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
by William Joyce
illustrated by William Joyce and Joe Bluhm

Morris Lessmore loved books.  Everyday he would write about his life.  But then one day the wind scattered everything, including all the words he had written.   He found himself wandering, encountering stories, and following the stories to a great building full of books for him to care for and share with others.   As he grew older the books cared for him until the final day when he flew off into the sky carried off by books, leaving behind his own story for others to read.  

This story  is a heartwarming tale demonstrating how the love of stories are shared across time.   The text is accompanied well by detailed illustrations ranging from black and white, representing the sadder parts of the story, to brightly colored pictures indicating the happier parts.  This is a beautiful  story that sends a wonderful message about the lifelong love of books.  

This story was actually originally created as an Academy Award winning short film before being adapted into a book!  Additionally, there is an iPad app available for this book that has gotten a lot of good reviews.   I have not yet used the app, however I recently watched of video demonstration of it and it certainly brings the book to life!

Book/film website: http://morrislessmore.com/