THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney

Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. New York:  Little Brown. 2009. ISBN 978-0-316-07360-8

In THE LION AND THE MOUSE, Jerry Pinkney, no stranger to accolades in the world of children’s literature, garnered his first Caldecott gold.  This traditional fable by the ubiquitous Aesop is retold in wordless, lush, panoramic watercolor that is Pinkney’s trademark.   How does one convey the fable with no words?  Although you do not hear the mama mouse plead with the king of beasts to spare her life in exchange for the incredulous possibility of returning the favor someday, we see plenty of emotion in the poignant faces of the animals.  We also see the strong sense of family as herds of wildlife decorate the Serengeti landscape as you open the cover  of the book, and the mouse family shares an outing with the lion family on the final end sheets.

From the very beginning we observe the vulnerability of the mouse.   On the title page she sits in the depression of the lion’s paw print.  Next we see her narrowly escape the talons of the owl.  We see terror in the eyes of the proud lion when he is rendered helpless in the net of the poachers, and we see joy in the determination of the little mouse when setting the lion free from the net trap.   Children identify easily with the smallness of the mouse and are inspired by the enormity of her courage and kindness.  The timeless relevance of this story begs a "Random Acts of Kindness" day, or week, or month, or year.

One should take their time with this book and try to take in every detail that Pinkney’s skill affords us.  From the insects and spider webs, to the full faced expressions of the lion, there is no famine of visual delight.   I would have to agree with School Library Journal review that "Everybody loves this book.  A must have and a must purchase."  Considering that this book is dedicated to Pinkney’s first great granddaughter, I would say it’s a roaring labor of love.