The Lion & The Mouse

Title: The Lion & The Mouse

Author: Jerry Pinkney
Illustrations: Jerry Pinkney
Published: Pinkney, J. (2010). The lion & the mouse. New York: Little, Brown and Company: Books for Young Readers.
Themes: wordless, friendship, kindness, Aesop fable

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In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables; an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. This story shows us that even the King of the Jungle needs help, and a tiny mouse can be that helper. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes. Even though there are no words in this book the story about kindness still comes through. 

This is one of my most beloved picture books in my entire collection; the exquisite 2010 Caldecott Medal winner. Pinkey's illustrations need no words at all; they are so intrinsic and detailed in their own right.

Wordless books, when done properly, have a valued role within our classrooms. This book especially is a fantastic introduction into the concept of visual literacy; how can the illustrations help us know what's going on? What do the character's body language and facial expressions tell us?



Classroom Ideas:

-  Have multiple people "read" the story. Have students reflect on the question - How was the story different from the way I understood the story?
- Using a pad of sticky notes, have students create a dialogue for the characters. What are the animals saying when they're together? What are they thinking when they're alone?
- Create a T-Chart on a piece of paper. On one side write the word "Mouse" and on the other side write the word "Lion". In each column, write down character traits of each animal. How are they different? How are they the same?
- If you were to interview one of the main characters, who would you interview? What would you ask them? Create an interview between you and one of the characters. Have students either record this interview or act it out in front of the class.
- Have students turn to their favourite picture in the book. What visual cues (hints) are present that let the reader know what is happening in the story?
- Can you think of another pair of animals that would make good main characters? Have students create their own wordless book with these characters.
- Reflection question: 
a) The Lion & The Mouse demonstrates “the golden rule”. The golden rule is “do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” What does this mean? Why is this a good rule?
b) Why do you think the author chose to include animal sounds as the only words in the book?