Lenny and Lucy

Lenny and Lucy written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead (2015)

Peter is sure that moving to a new house was a terrible idea, especially since the house was on the other side of a bridge which separated it from the deep, dark woods. Peter and his dog, Harold, built someone to guard the bridge at night so that the woods stayed on their side of the bridge. They named him Lenny. But because Lenny might be lonely, they also built one named Lucy. Lenny and Lucy guarded the bridge day and night to make sure the woods stayed on the other side of the bridge. Then Peter and Harold met Millie who had binoculars and a bag of marshmallows. Millie joined them in looking for interesting things. And that night, Peter and Millie each shone their flashlights out their bedroom windows toward each other’s homes, knowing that the woods stayed on their own side of the bridge.

Quiet little story about loneliness and how one small boy tries to conquer his fear of the dark woods by building soft, pillowy, guards. It’s not until he meets a friend that he doesn’t seem to need the guards for anything more than watching for interesting things.

Cuddle up with a pillow and your best friend and read this story one more time.

Design your own pillowcase. Or sew three or four pillows together to make a comfy floor mat.

Kids can make their own pillow toys with felt and stuffing. Cut two basic shapes the same size (circle for this one). Then cut strips about two inches long. Tie the two sets of tabs together to close the edges. Stuff and finish tying off.