Winner of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” was first a picture book by William Joyce. The book was written by Mr. Joyce to show his appreciation for his mentor, William Morris, a children’s book publisher. You can find the book in Henry Ford’s Media Center by clicking on this link.

When creating the film, Mr. Joyce designed the look and behavior of the main character, Morris Lessmore, after silent film legend, Buster Keaton.

Younger children will enjoy the sweet story of a man and his magical books, older children will be mesmerized by the physical comedy of Buster Keaton when they do a Google search of his films. Adults will need a box of Kleenex.

Enjoy! Here’s the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad3CMri3hOs