Genre 2 explores traditional tales. The first book I will review is Jerry Pinkney's retelling of the Aesop fable The Lion and the Mouse.
Image: About.com
Bibliographic Data
Pinkney, Jerry. 2009. The Lion & the Mouse. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780316013567. (Illustrated by author)
Plot Summary
A mouse accidentally runs across a lion and disturbs him. He is gracious and allows her to live, and she runs back home to her children. The lion is then captured by hunters, and the mouse comes to his rescue and chews away the ropes of the snare to free the lion. She returns home to her children with a bit of the rope for them to play at chewing up. The last pages show the lion rejoining a lioness and her cubs, his family.
Critical Analysis
This picture book is geared towards preschool children, but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It tells the story of the lion and the mouse solely through the action in the illustrations, although some sound words like “whooo” for the owl and “putt putt” for the car are added for effect. The watercolor and colored pencil drawings are slightly blurry in most of the pictures, giving a fantastical and grandiose feeling to the oversize images.
Most of the scenic images sprawl across both pages, while scenes with the mouse are framed and smaller than the page to convey its smaller stature. The pictures of the lion run off and escape the edges of the page, reflecting his enormous size. Several times multiple panes run across the pages to show the movement of the mouse. Color helps to convey the action in the story, becoming more vibrant and intense during tense moments, and using cooler colors when the action is calmer.
A great deal of depth and emotion are conveyed in the eyes and face of the two animals. Though no words tell why the lion releases the mouse, his facial expression shows surprise and wonder at seeing the small creature up so close, and gentleness as he releases her. The mouse’s expressions convey an eagerness to help the lion, confidence in her abilities, and joy at being able to help him escape. The two exchange a look of mutual respect before parting ways. Even without words, the tale springs from the page and captivates the reader.
Awards
2010 Caldecott Medal Winner
Reviews
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "Pinkney is positively cinematic in his direction. ... Aesop tales are usually more about the morals than the animal actors; here's a retelling that puts the animals front and center and breathes a note of furry reality into the proceedings."
The New York Times Book Review: "Winner of five Caldecott Honors, Pinkney has always seemed happier drawing animals than people. ... His beasts are not humans in disguise; while both the lion and the mouse have emotions and intelligence in their eyes, they are animal in nature. We don't know why the lion lets the mouse go free. ... But it's actions in this case that count. That's the moral of the story."
The Horn Book: "By retelling Aesop's fable entirely in his signature pencil and watercolor art, Pinkney encourages closer exploration of the pleasing detail with which he amplifies it. ... On every page, this beautiful book suggests even more than it tells about its real setting, and about that fabulous world where such bargains are made."
Connections
Enrichment Activities
Once children have read / viewed this book, have them discuss why they think the lion freed the mouse, and why the mouse returned to free him. Ask them what traits the animals demonstrated by their actions (compassion, kindness, courage, honor, etc.). Have them retell the story in their own words.
There are several websites that offer activities for this story, including:
Related Readings
- A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead (Author); Erin Stead (Illustrator) (Roaring Brook Press, 2010)
- Flotsam by David Wiesner (Clarion Books, 2006)
- The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2008)
- All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon (Beach Lane Books, 2009)
- First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook Press, 2007)
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