I saw Lucy and the Green Man at the public library while in the kids area with my, well, kids. I immediately thought of my wife as she loves gardening and the outdoors and, like me, loves well done illustrations to children’s and young adult literature.
I checked it out and gave it to her and she loved it and read it to the kids at bedtime a number of nights. She finally gave it back and said I need it to read it as it was in her “top ten” favorites. So read it one night before bed too.
It really is a great little book. A touching and captivating story about life and death, about nature and belief, about how we react to the world around us. It has a classic tone and style – a sense of timelessness even as it is set clearly in modern times.
Here is the publishers blurb which will give you a sense of the story:
Lucy knew Lob was there, from the way she felt inside. There was a sparking of mischief in her head, a tingle of energy in her arms and legs. She wanted to run, jump, climb, be everywhere at once. You have to be a special person to see Lob, that’s what Lucy’s Grandpa Will says. Lucy’s parents don’t believe in him. But Lucy does. And then she finally catches sight of the Green Man in Grandpa’s garden. And then she knows. Lob is here, and he is real—now and forever and ever!
The story is short enough that I won’t give away anymore of the plot but it is an interesting take on this legendary character. It isn’t the fast paced action adventure of so much children’s and young adult books these days but if you like slower paced more “old-fashioned” style stories this one is worth checking out.
