The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

                                                    The Lion and the Mouse

Bibliography
Pinkney, Jerry.  2009.  New York, NY:  Little, Brown and Company.  ISBN 9780316013567

Plot Summary
The lion catches a mouse, but in a moment of compassion, he lets the mouse go.  The mouse gratefully returns to her burrow and her babies.  As the lion is roaming through the trees, he is caught in a trap set by poachers.  The mouse hears his roars and goes to see what happens.  The mouse realizes she can chew through the net that the lion is trapped in, so she does so and helps the lion escape.  The mouse takes a chunk of the net home to her babies to play with.

Critical Analysis
The story sticks to Aesop’s classic fable, using animals to teach the lesson that kindness will be repaid.  This book is almost a wordless picture book, and rightfully so.  The rich, golden-hued illustrations convey all the details that are needed in this book.  The curiousness of the lion and fear of the mouse are shown on the faces of the animals at the beginning of the book, and the golden landscape of the African plains are showcased in the background of the pages.  Details such as the birds perched above the lion walking toward the trap and the aerial perspective of this page give a sense of foreboding as the lion gets closer to the poacher’s net.

Review Excerpts
This book won the 2010 Caldecott Award and a 2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Honor.

School Library Journal Starred, 9/1/2009 by Wendy Lukehart
"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."

Booklist, July 2009 by Daniel Kraus
"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."

Connections
This book would definitely appeal to animal-lovers and children who appreciate nature.   A larger collection of fables illustrated by Jerry Pinkney can be found in Aesop's Fables ISBN 9781587170003, and the Hans Christian Anderson tale of The Ugly Duckling ISBN 9780688159320