6 July 2015 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

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