The Lion and the Mouse

 

Bibliographic Information: Pinkney, J. (2009). The lion & the mouse. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group, Inc.

 

Genre/Type: Fable, wordless picture book

 

Summary: This book tells the story of Aesop's fable "The Lion and the Mouse" merely through pictures. The story is about a mouse who ventures out of his home only to almost get eaten by an owl. In an effort to escape, the mouse jumps onto a lion. The lion could easily eat the mouse; however, he chooses to let the mouse go. Later that day, a group of poachers come and setup a trap made of rope in the savannah. When the lion gets caught, the mouse hears his roar and comes to his rescue. The mouse uses his teeth to chew through the rope and set the lion free.

 

Theme/Purpose: The theme in this book is "what goes around, comes around" maybe better known as karma. If you do something nice for someone, chances are the favor will be returned one day. Another purpose for writing this story is to show the reader that two seemly different individuals; ones who are "supposed" to be natural enemies, can still get along. This is a message for diversity and acceptance. While these are most likely the intended motivations behind this book, I chose it for the purpose of pointing out to students the benefits of the different characteristics animals have; specifically the mouse's teeth.

 

Selection/Evaluation: I chose this book because I wanted to include a fable in my text-set. After looking through books, I came across this one and thought it would be a good way to indirectly introduce students to fables, while at the same time incorporating animal characteristics. I would ask students what characteristics or adaptations they saw the animals have in the book. Did the mouse's teeth come in handy? I would also point out the need animals have to eat, and why letting the mouse go would be considered unusual for a lion. This book is a great resource to point out to students how the concepts we discuss in class can be extended to other literature.