Genre 1: Picture Books - The Lion and the Mouse
Posted by Tamra S , Wednesday, June 9, 2010 10:07 PM
Bibliographic Data
Pinkney, Jerry. 2009. The Lion and the Mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316013567
Plot Summary
In this retelling of a traditional Aesop fable, Jerry Pinkney relies on expressive characters and illustrations to communicate the story through a virtually wordless picture book. The story follows Mouse as she scurries from a predatory owl. She unknowingly stops to rest on Lion’s back. Lion looks Mouse over when he grasps her in his giant paw, and appears to take pity on the tiny frightened mouse by letting her go. The reader learns that Mouse has a family when she goes to them after being released by Lion. Later in the story, Lion is walking through the African plain and is captured by some trappers’ nets. Mouse hears Lion’s loud roar and rushes to his rescue, proving that even a small creature can make a difference.
Critical Analysis
Pinkney only uses a few onomatopoeia words to relate sounds made by the animals. The rest of the story is told by the watercolor illustrations and interpreted by the reader. The plot of the story is understood through Pinkney’s detailed and articulate illustrations. Through these, the reader is able to determine the emotions and even infer what the characters might say if they spoke. For example, it is clear that Mouse is frightened when in Lion’s enormous paw. It is also evident when Mouse arrives to free Lion that Lion has his doubts about how tiny Mouse can possibly help him out of his dilemma. Additionally, the reader can see Lion’s gratefulness to Mouse once he is free.
The use of bright, rich colors enhances the setting of the African plain. Pinkney, in the Artist’s Note, identifies the setting as the African Serengeti of Tanzania or Kenya. The story theme, however, extends beyond the African Serengeti. The idea that even small people or things can make a difference is applicable to many regions and life stages. Additional themes conveyed are: kindness often begets kindness and kindness can have unintended or unforeseen outcomes.
This book is easily interpretable for a young child. Young children would be able to recognize emotions, as revealed in the animals’ expressions, even if there vocabulary does not extend beyond ‘happy’ or ‘scared.’ Adults can appreciate the luminous artwork that tells the story.
Awards and Reviews
*2010 Caldecott Medal
*Starred Review in School Library Journal: “The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read.”
Connections
*Have students write the story based on the illustrations.
*Conduct an author/illustrator study by gathering other books written and/or illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Compare/contrast the various books and how he either told the stories or illustrated them.
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