The Flying Books of Morris Part 1-2-3

A Beautiful Book on the iPad hearkens back to the time of Silent Films

There is an equally amazing animated short available on the iTunes store with a very clever use of the tune, “Pop Goes The Weasel.”

Put both of these together and I believe I have found a way to show how the iPad can make music education both engaging and academic – encouraging active listening and maximum participation – all because of a book: The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore. I will dedicate three special publications to this wonderful book, with lessons and worksheets, to help educators/students teach listening and composition in their classrooms.

The Flying Books of Morris Lessmore

This combination of sound and emotion in an animated story will capture your ears and imaginations. As mentioned over at Tech Fortune, “…it was clearly a labor of love for William Joyce, a former Pixar (DIS) designer, and his team at Moonbot Studios. The $4.99 iPad app debuted on May 31 and has been slowly making its way up the charts. Coupled with an animated short also available in the iTunes store, this book/film turned interactive experience has charmed people world-wide.”

Take a simple story, add emotive music and characters and I believe this is the future of interactive lessons on an iPad. There are other books on the iPad such as Alice in Wonderland, Horton Hears a Who, How to Train Your Dragon & A fine Musician but this one captures all student ages, allows for music lessons with all student ages and that is not even its primary function!

What I marvel at is the simplicity in which the books composer, John Hunter, orchestrates the tune Pop Goes The Weasel to suit every feature of the film. The theme starts in the woodwinds at the beginning and builds to shrill runs in C Minor when the wind blows away Morris Lessmore (the protagonist) and all the books in the world leaving everyone grey and miserable (reflected in the tune being played in a melancholic A Minor). Then there is the incidental music with portamento in the strings, thirds echoing back and forth as a book ‘talks’ to Morris and the Amelie inspired music that sees Morris get lost in reading the adventures of a book he mends (featured in the video above). The music captures each charming aspect of the story so well that you even get to perform the theme Pop Goes The Weasel yourself. Perhaps even develop it motivically!

Make sure you visit the Moonbot Website and watch the video below for a wonderful story and a fresh take on the inspiration that comes from reading ‘books.’ The following publications will be of great use to you as you engage with the materials, music and colour of this beautiful story. Click on the images below:

Music Lessons with the Flying Books of Morris Lessmore

As mentioned above there are inherent music lessons available with this story, video and iPad app. I am available for courses and presentations on anything you see, let us connect!
* all credit for imaginative use of this resource goes to Moonbot Studios and

Desowitz, Bill. “The Fantastic Flying Animated Adventure of William Joyce.” Animation World Network, 11 Sept. 2021, https://www.awn.com/animationworld/fantastic-flying-animated-adventure-william-joyce.