The Lion & the Mouse

The Lion & the Mouse

Written and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Little, Brown and Company, 2009

40 pages

Picture Book-Fiction

                I chose this book because it was recommended to me by a librarian. This book is timeless and has the capability to tell a wonderful story without the use of words. The tale is based off of one of Aesop’s fables, “The Lion and the Mouse.” In this story, a little mouse is running from an owl when he awakens a sleeping lion. The lion has mercy on the mouse and lets him go. Later, the mouse finds the lion helpless in a booby trap. The mouse is able to eat through the rope and set the lion free. They become best friends.

                The illustrations in this book were done by using pencil, watercolor, and colored pencils on paper. Jerry Pinkey had always heard this story with words, but he wanted to portray this story with pictures. He does an excellent job of telling a story with detailed pictures. His pictures cover the entire pages of the book.

                This picture book is appropriate for students ranging from preschool to first grade. This book can be utilized in an elementary classroom. Teachers can incorporate this book when teaching character development. This story teaches a valuable lesson about mercy. Students could also learn a valuable lesson about friendship. Teachers could teach children that our differences make us unique. We should emphasize that we can befriend people who don't exactly look like us.