The Lion and the Mouse

 Bibliography: Pinkney, J. (2010). The Lion & the Mouse. Little, Brown & Co. ISBN 9780316013567


Plot summary 

Retelling of Aesop’s fable of the same name, but without words.  The story is of a lion who comes upon a mouse and rather than eating it, lets it return to its family.  Later, when the lion is caught in a trap, the mouse returns the favor by freeing the lion from a trap. 


Critical Analysis

Pinkney did an amazing job of being able to tell this story without using any words. Using only illustrations, Pinkney brilliantly retells one of Aesop’s fables. The illustrations carried the entire weight of the storytelling in a very thoughtful way. The animals are illustrated realistically with great attention to detail. Color is also important as it is used to draw attention to the characters and their natural surroundings. Pinkney is also able to show the animals’ emotions in a way that is not cartoonish or too human either, holding on to their animal nature.  I had never read Aesop’s version, and so I looked it up to see if what I saw in Pinkney’s version was close.  It was. Great storytelling without words, which is a difficult feat to accomplish.


Reviews

Kirkus Reviews: A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful.


CommonSenseMedia.org: Retold fable with out-of-this-world art; a true keepsake.


Awards

Caldecott Medal Winner (2010)


Connections


Have students write their own short story about the development of an unlikely friendship.


With elementary students, discuss what lesson can be learned from this story.


Read-aloud similar stories such as Hare and Tortoise by Alison Murray, and Oh, no! By Candace Fleming.


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