Jerry Pinkney and Caldecott Medal Book-- "The Lion and the Mouse"

            The book “The Lion and the Mouse” is a heart-warming tale of a lion who catches a mouse for his prey, but decides to let the mouse go free.  Then, the lion is caught in a net by poachers.  The mouse hears the lions roar of distress and frees the lion from the net.  In the author’s note, Pinkney discusses how he enjoyed the heart warming fable so much that he wanted to capture it in a picture book.  The moral of the story is that the meek can triumph the mighty.

            The story of this book is told primarily through pictures.  The only words that appear in the book are the sounds that the animals or vehicles are making.  Even though the tale is communicated only through drawings, its story-line and moral are both crystal clear.  The illustrations have such vivid detail that one is able to perceive every emotion that Pinkney intended the audience to view. 

            I really enjoyed the moral of the story.  I love that the small mouse was the unlikely hero of the book and came to save the powerful lion in the end.  I’m always a fan of stories in which the underdog comes out on top!  I also liked that the lion and the mouse were an unlikely pair, but ended up needing each other to survive. 

            This book had a similar illustration style to all of the other Jerry Pinkney books that I have read.  His pictures are detailed, with muted colors and have great texture.  Pinkney seems to be able to tell any story in a powerful way through pictures. 

            Through reading this book, I was able to learn that even short picture books can express a deep moral and meaning.  Even though there were few words to the book, the book displayed the powerful moral that the meek can triumph the mighty.   The message that the meek and mighty must also work together to survive is also communicated through this book.  I think that the more and more I read through the story, the more meaning I would be able to see in the story being communicated.

           

Other Books By Jerry Pinkney

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Little Red Riding Hood

Three Little Kittens

The Little Red Hen

Noah’s Ark

Mirandy and Brother Wind

Puss in Boots

Strange Animals of the Sea