The Lion & The Mouse

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Pinkney, Jerry. 2009.  The Lion and The Mouse. New York: Little, Brown Books. ISBN 9780316013567

PLOT SUMMARY

As dawn rises over the African Serengeti, a little mouse inadvertently crawls onto a lion’s back and is quickly snatched up by the lion.  The lion nobly decides to spare the mouse’s life, enabling the mouse to return to her nest and babies.  Unbeknownst to the lion, a pair of human poachers has entered the reserve and laid a trap to capture the lion.  When the lion is snared in the trap, his echoing roars travel across the plains to reach the ears of the little mouse.  Remembering the lion’s earlier kindness, the small mouse races to save him.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

“The Lion and The Mouse” is a cherished Aesop’s fable that is beautifully retold by author and illustrator Jerry Pinkney.  This classic tale is shared in an almost wordless text, instead, letting the gorgeously detailed illustrations tell the story.  From the hooting and screech of a soaring owl to the roar of the mighty lion, the story is supported by the natural sounds of the Serengeti.  Sadly, the only human sounds in the story come from the "put-put" of the poacher’s jeep as it travels through the reserve.

The illustrations throughout the book help to convey the sense of the wide-open space of the African plains.  This sense of openness and largeness is accomplished as the scenes in the story often travel from one page on to the next.  The feeling of movement and fast-paced activity in the story is achieved by those pages filled with only a single scene.  The various shades of green, gold, grey, tan, and yellow applied throughout the story impart the natural beauty of the African wilderness. 

The illustrations on the front-end papers detail a scene showing the wide variety of animals found in their natural habitat.  From the ostriches to the baboons, to the herds of elephants and giraffes, and especially to the lion’s pride, the illustrations convey a sense of family and community as they depict the various animal families.  This theme is echoed in the lion’s choice to spare the mouse which not only spares her life, but the life of her family as revealed when she returns to her nest filled with numerous babies. 

Similarly, the illustrations on the back-end papers also support the theme of family and community.  The lion is shown with the mouse and her family riding on his back.  The lion is looking back at his lioness walking next to him with their cubs happily walking with them.  A lion cub shown chewing on the end of the lioness’ tail portrays a sense of playfulness and contentment as the lioness and the lion share a meaningful glance.  This unusual group has attracted the interest of a bird in flight, a baboon hanging from a branch, and a flock of guinea fowls.  The group's movement across the two pages towards the edge gives the reader the sense of continuity and that this new found harmony that will endure even after they walk out of the picture.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Winner of the 2010 Caldecott Medal

From School Library Journal: “Pinkney’s stunning–and elegantly wordless–version of a well-known Aesop’s fable is incandescent with the shimmering hues of its African savannah setting. The artwork’s captivating realism and riveting visual perspectives reveal that though these creatures differ in size and stature, they both possess a lion’s share of courage and compassion.”

From Horn Book: “The only text in this Aesop retelling consists of sound effects, all the better to showcase Jerry Pinkney’s character-revealing narrative watercolors, which (beautifully) set the story in the Serengeti Plain. And the absence of a wrap-up moral encourages children to draw their own conclusions about what makes a hero.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful.”

CONNECTIONS

Collect other Caldecott Medal and Honor books to read such as:
  • Ellis, Carson. Du Iz Tak? ISBN 9780763665302
  • Steptoe, Javaka. Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. ISBN 9780316213882
  • Wenzel, Brendan. They All Saw a Cat. ISBN 9781452150130
Collect other Jerry Pinkney books to read such as:
  • The Little Red Hen. ISBN 9780803729353
  • The Tortoise & the Hare. ISBN 9780316183567
  • The Grasshopper & the Ants. ISBN 9780316400817
  • The Three Billy Goats Gruff. ISBN 9780316341578
Collect other traditional versions of The Lion & The Mouse to read such as:
  • Herman, Gail. The Lion and the Mouse. ISBN 9780679886747
  • Jones, Carol. The Lion and the Mouse. ISBN 9780395869567
  • Mlawer, Theresa. The Lion and the Mouse. ISBN 9780986431357
  • Watts, Bernadette. The Lion and the Mouse: A Fable by Aesop. ISBN 9780735812208
For a curated theme display, place this book with other Aesop’s Fables books on a bookshelf or table.  Similarly, place this book with other Jerry Pinkney books on a bookshelf or table.

Use with a unit on teaching kindness and compassion towards others.

Use with a science or social studies unit exploring the African landscape and habitat.

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