Lenny & Lucy / written by Philip C. Stead ; illustrated by Erin E. Stead.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

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.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

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 © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

An overloaded station wagon snakes through a dark wood, with a shaggy yellow dog and a boy named Peter peering from its backseat. I think this is a terrible idea, Peter observes. His dad continues to drive until they cross a wooden bridge and come to a stop in front of their new house, which is not nearly as good as their old house. Afraid that something terrible is hiding in the woods, Peter and the dog, Harold, build a large, pudgy man out of pillows and blankets to stand guard outside. This is Lenny, who is joined the next day by Lucy, fashioned from blankets and leaves. Soon, the unusual foursome is greeted by the girl next door, who comes bearing binoculars and marshmallows: the perfect ingredients for friendship. The smudgy grays of the illustrations match Peter's anxiety over the move, while bursts of yellow, green, blue, purple, and red shine like gems of hope amid his worry. A quiet, comforting tale of finding where you belong. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Any book by this Caldecott-winning duo (A Sick Day for Amos McGee, 2010) is sure to garner lots of interest. Be prepared for eager readers.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Peter isnt optimistic about moving to a house in the woods with his father and faithful dog. An artfully restrained text never explains why theyve moved, but theres a sense of melancholy in the fathers stance and in the woods bareness. As protection again the unfriendly forest, Peter fashions the eponymous Lenny out of pillows, blankets, and string. Subtly evoking Sendaks Mickey, Peter pushed and pulled and kneaded the wrapped-up pillows like dough; he then leaves Lenny to guard a nearby bridge to keep the dark woods on the other side where they belong. Although this makes Peter feel safer, he worries that Lenny is lonely, so he makes him a companion, Lucy. In the daytime, Lenny and Lucy watch over Peters solitary play, but something is missing. Enter Milliethe girl-next-door who becomes a good friend. In what may seem like a pacing misstep, her introduction is quite abrupt, but perhaps this is meant to signify how we sometimes overlook potential connections with others. Erin Steads art shows Millies mother befriending Peters dad, and cozy neighborliness overcomes the earlier pervasive loneliness (see the subtle shape of a heart in the final illustration). A controlled palette in the illustrations slowly adds color to the initial gray, employing highlights first of gold, then blue, green, and pink, to indicate a progressive sense of hope and comfort. Sublime bookmaking, including foil-stamped, cloth-bound boards, enhances the presentation of this gentle story. megan dowd lambert (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

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 Grimmor 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) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.