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Morris and the Magic of Stories by Didier Levy

Title: Morris and the Magic of Stories

Author: Didier Levy

Translator: Jill Phythian

Illustrator: Lorenzo Sangio

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Date Published: 2023

Format: Hardback

Genre:

Book Category: Picture Book

Age Range: 6-8

Original Title: First published in French as Le super pouvoir des histoires, ABC MELODY Editions, France, 2022

Country of Origin: France

Morris and the Magic of Stories

by Didier Levy
Age Range: 6-8

Book-loving Morris the cat is tired of hunting mice. He would much rather find a way to make them come to him with minimum effort and so he devises a cunning plan – he’ll read a story aloud from one of his many books. And it worked – “Just like magic”. When the mice heard Morris’ voice, they came from all over the house and sat down to listen. But unfortunately, Morris chose a rather sad story and by the time he got to the end, he wasn’t in the mood for hunting any more. Morris decided to try reading a funny book but this didn’t work either because it made him laugh so much that his sides hurt and he wasn’t hungry any more. Morris tried out all sorts of stories with none having the desired effect. Then he hit on a brainwave - perhaps he should write his own story instead. Little does Morris know that his brilliant idea won’t work out quite the way he expected.

This gorgeous picture book by French author Didier Lévy, translated by Jill Phythian, and with exquisitely detailed artwork by Italian illustrator Lorenzo Sangiò, is hilarious. A book-loving cat and his struggle to hunt mice is a joy to read. Lévy’s story is enhanced by the comical pen and ink and watercolour illustrations which are full of lovely detail. From double-page spreads of Morris reading in his armchair to an attentive audience of mice to his performance of a funny story against a backdrop of shelves of books or the nighttime visas in a palette of blueish grey. Amusing vignettes depict Morris in a variety of poses as well as the different guises of characters from his favourite books – from a mermaid cat; a cat Red Riding Hood, cat detective Sherlock Holmes, space or wizard cat and even a cat Mary Poppins descending from the top of the page as you open the book.

There is so much here to look at that young readers are going to want to look at it again and again (and adults too!).

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