The Lion and the Mouse

Written and Illustrated By Jerry Pinkney

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jerry-pinkney/the-lion-the-mouse/9780316013567/ 

Accessed 9/24/2013

Summary

In this wordless adaptation of Aesop’s fable of compassion The Lion and the Mouse, the Lion rises above his beastly nature and allows a little mouse to leave freely after unintentionally stumbling into the Lion’s resting spot.  After being freed the Mouse returns the Lion’s act of compassion by coming to the Lion’s aid when the Lion inadvertently gets caught in a hunter’s trap.

Critical Analysis

Compassion is one of the defining traits that separates the humane from the inhumane - the ability to rise above our instinctual nature, empathize with another creature and be moved to action in order to alleviate suffering. Jerry Pinkney’s rendition of Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse beautifully illustrates the compassion that the lion and the mouse discover for each other and how it elevates them above mere beasts. These two creatures reflect the true nature of the golden rule to every human who witnesses this story – that we should do onto others as we would have them do unto us.

With Pinkney’s organic illustrations, warmed with the sepia tones of the Serengeti, the reader is able to look beyond the limited perspective of the moment and see the panoramic lives of these two beasts – that the Mouse has babies to feed and that the Lion is the head of his pride. Pinkney creates the necessity of the reader truly “seeing” by removing all dialogue from this tale. Pinkney fills his tale with rich images and the sounds that rise up from this story, but the understanding of compassion comes simply from the connection of existing, not speaking.

Awards

The 2009 Caldecott Award

Reviews

Booklist (07/01/2009):
Preschool-G *Starred Review* The intricate lions face that crowds the cover of Pinkneys latest folktale adaptation is unaccompanied by any title or credits, and that is entirely appropriatethere are no words inside, either. Through illustration alone Pinkney relates the well-known Aesop fable of the mouse who is captured by a lion, only to be unexpectedly released. Then, when the lion finds himself trapped by hunters, it is the mouse who rescues him by gnawing through the twine. Pinkney bends his no-word rule a bit with a few noises that are worked into the art (Screeeech when an owl dives; Putt-Putt-Putt when the hunters jeep arrives), but these transgressions will only encourage young listeners to get involved with read-along sessions. And involved they will behow could they not get drawn into watercolors of such detail and splendor? Pinkneys 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 thats no mean feat. In a closing artists note, Pinkney talks about his choice to forgo text

Publishers Weekly (07/27/2009):
Other than some squeaks, hoots and one enormous roar, Pinkney's ("Little Red Riding Hood") interpretation of Aesop's fable is wordlessas is its striking cover, which features only a head-on portrait of the lion's face. Mottled, tawny illustrations show a mouse unwittingly taking refuge on a lion's back as it scurries away from an owl. The large beast grabs and then releases the tiny creature, who later frees the lion who has become tangled in a hunter's snare. Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal themefamilyaffectingly illustrated in several scenes as well as in the back endpapers, which show the lion walking with his mate and cubs as the mouse and her brood ride on his back. Pinkney's artist's note explains that he set the book in Africa's Serengeti, with its wide horizon and abundant wildlife so awesome yet fragilenot unlike the two sides of each of the heroes. Additional African species grace splendid panoramas that balance the many finely detailed, closeup images of the protagonists. Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself.

Kirkus Review - Children (08/01/2009):
A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop's fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful. A mouse, narrowly escaping an owl at dawn, skitters up what prove to be a male lion's tail and back. Lion releases Mouse in a moment of bemused gentility and—when subsequently ensnared in a poacher's rope trap—reaps the benefit thereof. Pinkney successfully blends anthropomorphism and realism, depicting Lion's massive paws and Mouse's pink inner ears along with expressions encompassing the quizzical, hapless and nearly smiling. He plays, too, with perspective, alternating foreground views of Mouse amid tall grasses with layered panoramas of the Serengeti plain and its multitudinous wildlife. Mouse, befitting her courage, is often depicted heroically large relative to Lion. Spreads in watercolor and pencil employ a palette of glowing amber, mouse-brown and blue-green. Artist-rendered display type ranges from a protracted"RRROAARRRRRRRRR" to nine petite squeaks from as many mouselings. If the five cubs in the back endpapers are a surprise, the mouse family of ten, perched on the ridge of father lion's back, is sheer delight. Unimpeachable.

School Library Journal (09/01/2009):
PreS-Gr 3This 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. The endpapers and artist's note place these creatures among the animal families of the African Serengeti. 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. In some scenes, Pinkney's luminous art, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, suggests a natural harmony, as when the cool blues of the sky are mirrored in the rocks and acacia tree. In other compositions, a cream-colored background focuses attention on the exquisitely detailed and nuanced forms of the two main characters. Varied perspectives and the judicious use of panels create interest and indicate time. Sounds are used sparingly and purposefullyan owl's hoot to hint at offstage danger or an anguished roar to alert the mouse of the lion's entrapment. Contrast this version with Pinkney's traditional treatment of the same story (complete with moral) in "Aesop's Fables" (North-South, 2000). 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

Connections

The story Little Blue Truck takes the idea of compassion a step further by illustrating the importance of being compassionate to those individuals who may not deserve it. Alice Schertle lays out the story of a sweet little blue truck who beeps “hello” to all of the animals along his drive. Always friendly, always thoughtful, Blue endears himself to each creature he meets until one day a big, rude dump truck in a rush speeds by Blue splattering mud everywhere. In his haste the big dump truck runs into a big pile of mud and gets stuck – the dump truck cries for help, but none of the animals pay him any mind because he was so rude. Blue comes to the aid of the dump truck in spite of the dump’s rude behavior – Blue helps because he feels compassion for the dump’s predicament and his compassion spurs him to action in spite of the way the dump truck treated Blue. In the end the dump truck understands Blue’s kind and compassionate ways and rises above his rushed behavior and thanks everyone for helping him. By pairing The Lion and the Mouse and Little Blue Truck, kids can see two stories where compassion brought out the best in all of the characters involved.

References

Booklist 07/01/2009 pg. 63 (EAN 9780316013567, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Kirkus Review - Children 08/01/2009 (EAN 9780316013567, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

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

Publishers Weekly 07/27/2009 pg. 61 (EAN 9780316013567, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Schertle, Alice. (2008). Little Blue Truck. Ill By Jill McElmurry. New York, NY: HMH Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780152056612

School Library Journal 09/01/2009 pg. 146 (EAN 9780316013567, Hardcover) - *Starred Review