Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead (review)

Young Peter is a worrier, and when he and his father move to their new house, he worries about the dark forest surrounding it (“Terrible things hid in the trees”). With the aid of his loyal dog, Harold, Peter pulls together bedding from the house and creates a big pillow guy he names Lenny (“Guardian of the Bridge”) to “keep the dark woods on the other side where they belong.” Then he’s worried Lenny is lonely, so he pulls together another bedding person named Lucy, who can be Lenny’s friend. As the four of them are gently playing outside, they’re joined by Peter’s new neighbor, Milly, and maybe the dark woods aren’t so scary after all. Philip Stead’s text for this artistic story of relocation fear is spare yet well chosen, with touches of careful repetition adding smoothness. Erin Stead’s art is what really brings out the meaning, though, with soft smudgy grays in pencil and printwork predominating in the unwelcoming landscape; even inside, Peter stands hemmed in huge, colorless floral wallpaper with the woods blocking the only view out the window. The woods’ prominence decreases notably from start (Peter and his father drive through the thick forest) to end (a few picturesque trees recede to gentle misty verticals behind Peter’s and Millie’s houses). This is a delicate and slightly strange story, and while its metaphor may not be immediately accessible to young audiences, they’ll understand the emotions.