Morris Lessmore, a young writer, wanders into a mysterious library after a storm devastates his city. The library is home to magical flying books that literally come to life.

Described as an "allegory about the curative powers of story," the film centers on bibliophile Lessmore and his custodianship of a magical library of flying books. It was created using computer animation, miniatures and traditional hand-drawn techniques.

After winning over a dozen film festivals, the film was awarded the Best Animated Short Film at the 84th Academy Awards. An official iPad app based on the film was also released in the Apple App Store. This however requires updating as it does not work with the current iOS. A book adaptation was released in late 2012.