THE LION & THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pinkney, Jerry.  2009.  The Lion & The Mouse.  New York: Little, Brown & Company.  ISBN 9780316013567

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this wordless adaptation of Aesop's famous fable, The Lion and the Mouse, Pinkney beautifully depicts the animals in the African Serengeti.  An unassuming mouse finds herself crawling atop a resting lion.  When the King of the Jungle mercifully releases her from his claws, she remembers his kindness when she sees him caught in a trap.  She courageously frees the lion from the hunters' net.  It proves that even the smallest of creatures are capable of greatness.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Pinkney fills the wide pages of The Lion & The Mouse with safari colors.  His use of golden yellows, browns, and green transport the reader to Africa.  The watercolor details of his work is magnificent.  At times, the variation of color hues are so detailed, the work appears pixelated.  This is evident in the ariel view of the lion just before he approaches the trap.  The illustration is an opening in a tree canopy which gives a bird's eye view of the lion walking through the riverine forrest.  The story requires no explanation, and the only sounds the book offers are onomatopoeias of animal noises: an owl's "who" or "screeeech," the lion's "Grrrrrr," and the "squeak, squeak" of baby mice.  Pinkney's illustrations zoom into the action of Aesop's fable.  There's even a play by play of the little mouse gnawing through the ropes of the net to release the king.  The lion falls onto a two-page spread, and the impact is felt throughout the Serengeti.  The grateful lion peers over the hard working mouse; they both gaze at each other as if smiling.  Each grateful for the kindness bestowed.  The tale ends with the mouse returning to her nest of baby mice, and she brings them a knot souvenir of her adventure.

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2010 Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2009 Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2009 Cybil Award, 2009 Indies Choice Book Award, 2010 National Parenting Publications Award, 2009 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award, 2009 Parents' Choice Award, 2009 Prize for Design and Printing, 2010 Prize for Design and Printing, 2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal, 2010

Daniel Kraus (Booklist, Jul. 1, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 21))

Pinkney's soft, multihued strokes make everything in the jungle seem alive, right down to the rocks, as he bleeds color to indicate movement, for instance, when the lion falls free from the net. His luxuriant use of close-ups humanizes his animal characters without idealizing them, and that's no mean feat. In a closing artist's note, Pinkney talks about his choice to forgo text.

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have children try to paint a lion or mouse using water colors.

*Visit Pinkney's webpage to see his other award winning artwork.

*Visit the Educator's guide and complete some of the activities with a group of students.  http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_assets/guides/EG_9780316013567.pdf