THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney

1. Bibliographic Data

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

2. Plot Summary

A small field mouse accidentally awakens a large lion and finds himself the subject of an early morning snack. Calling upon the lion's compassion and adding a promise to one day repay the favor, Mouse talks Lion into letting her go. Time passes and Lion one day finds himself hopelessly trapped in a net by hunters. Lion roars out in anguish at his situation. Mouse hears the distressed lion, remembers her promise to repay Lion's mercy, and sets out to free the king of beasts. Using her ingenuity and determination little Mouse frees Lion from the net. Lion and Mouse happily return to their families.

3. Critical Analysis

Set in the African Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya, readers are instantly captivated by Pinkney's stunning, realistic images of Africa as he brings to life Aesop's fable, “The Lion and the Mouse.” Drawing on the universal nature of the fable, Pinkney chooses to use the most universal language of all to retell this classic morality tale, full, rich images. Each illustration speaks of the beauty of the landscape and its integral part to the wild nature of the story. From the opening pages readers are shown the grand expanse of land commanded by Lion as he lazily drowses amid a cacophony of animals and the smallness of Mouse as she narrowly escapes a hunting owl. These characters are defined as much by their environment as they are by their self determination. 

Drawing incredible human expression while maintaining the animal integrity of his characters, Pinkney allows readers to relate to the humanity of the situations and feel the emotions of the characters throughout the tale. Warm, rich colors add vibrancy to this already stunning visual landscape. This is a story of compassion, treating others as you would like to be treated, and of never underestimating the power of one small individual to make a big difference. Master storyteller, Jerry Pinkney, provides his audiences with hours of pleasure as they turn through his beautifully crafted illustrations and gain added depth, understanding, and insight into this ancient fable.

4. Awards Won and Review Excerpt(s)

2010 Caldecott Medal

2010 Horn Book Awards Honor Book

2010 New York Times Best Illustrated Book

2010 Indies Choice Book of the Year Winner, New Picture Book

*Starred review from School Library Journal: “This story starts on the cover with the glorious, golden countenance of a lion. No text is necessary to communicate the title: the direction of the beast's gaze and the conflicted expression on his tightly cropped face compel readers to turn the book over, where a mouse, almost filling the vertical space, glances back....Each spread contributes something new in this nearly wordless narrative, including the title opening, on which the watchful rodent pauses, resting in one of the large footprints that marches across the gutter....The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read. Moments of humor and affection complement the drama. A classic tale from a consummate artist.”

*Starred review from 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.”

*Starred review from Kirkus Reviews: "A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop's fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful... Unimpeachable."

*Starred review from Publishers Weekly: “Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself."

5. Connections

*Check out several nonfiction books on the African Serengeti. Learn more about the ecosystem there. You can learn about the animals that live their and the types of plants you might see. Draw your own picture of what this unique ecosystem looks like.

*Learn more about the African lion or research what kind of mouse was used to portray Mouse in Pinkney's book. Write and illustrate a little book sharing the facts you learned about each animal. Share your book with someone else.

*Learn who Aesop was. Find out the answers to questions like: Who was Aesop? Where did he come from? What kind of stories did he write? What is a fable? Find out other famous fables attributed to him. Try creating your own fable. Write and illustrate your fable and share it with someone.

*Try acting out the fable, “The Lion and the Mouse,” with some friends or your family. Take turns being the different characters. What do you learn about each character after you have acted out their part? Do you see the characters any differently than before? Did you learn something new about the story from this experience?

*More books by Jerry Pinkney:

The Ugly Duckling. ISBN 068815932X

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. ISBN 0316056960

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. ISBN 0060587857

Noah's Ark. ISBN 1587172011

Three Little Kittens. ISBN 0803735332

The Nightingale. ISBN 0803724640

*More book versions of Aesop's fable, “The Lion and the Mouse”:

Sneed, Brad. Aesop's Fables. ISBN 9780803727519

Burkert, Rand. Mouse & Lion. ISBN 0545101476

Wood, A.J. The Lion and the Mouse: An Aesop's Fable. ISBN 1562946587