SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

June 1, 2012 by Betsy Bird

Top 100 Picture Books #37: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

June 1, 2012 by Betsy Bird   2 comments

#37 The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2009)
47 points
I love David Wiesner, but as funny as his wordless books are, none of them match this one for the combined power of the storytelling and sheer beauty of the drawings. One of the most deserving Caldecott winners ever. – Mark Flowers
I approach this book with such reverence when I pull it of the shelf. It’s a masterpiece. – Aaron Zenz
Stunning. – Stacy Dillon
Caldecott Award decisions are mysterious things.  No one on a given committee is allowed to talk about what was said or what went down.  I have no information about the 2010 committee that handed Jerry Pinkney his first, long overdue, Caldecott Medal.  If I were to hazard a guess I would have to believe that their deliberations must have been short.  Everyone in 2009 knew that Pinkney was the frontrunner.  If it hadn’t won, great torrents of blood would have been shed.
The plot as written in my review reads, “Set against the African Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya, a single small mouse escapes the claws of a hungry owl, only to find herself trapped within the paw of a huge lion. On a whim, the lion lets the mouse go and then sets about his merry way. Unfortunately, poachers have been putting up traps, and before he knows it the lion is caught and bound in nasty ropes, high above the ground. To his rescue comes the little mouse, and she nibbles the ropes until they give way and free the lion. In her mouth she leaves with one of the knots of rope, which she gives her family of tiny babies at home to play with. On the final endpapers, the lion and his family of cubs prowl with the mouse and her family safely ensconced on the lion’s back.”
Smart, Mr. Pinkney.  Clever, Mr. Pinkney.  Little, Brown has a weakness for a titleless cover (see: Eggs) so I’m not surprised that they took a chance on this one.  The fact is, though, that without a title the cover is all the more impressive.  A great big gorgeous lion seen head-on in raucous waves of orange, yellow, brown, and gold.  Cleverer still is to turn it over and see the mouse on the back, blown up so that it fills the back cover just as the lion fills the front.  When the book is opened up, the two end up looking at one another, and both appear on the spine.  Nice.
Lest you forget, this book does NOT mark the first time Pinkney has illustrated this story. Recall well his illustrated story in the book Aesop’s Fables. You can see how similar his old lion and mouse team are to this new lion and mouse team here.

  • Care to lion yourself?  100 Scope Notes shows you how.

PW said, “Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself.”
SLJ said, “The ambiguity that results from the lack of words in this version allows for a slower, subtle, and ultimately more satisfying read. Moments of humor and affection complement the drama. A classic tale from a consummate artist.”
Booklist said, “Pinkney’s soft, multihued strokes make everything in the jungle seem alive, right down to the rocks, as he bleeds color to indicate movement, for instance, when the lion falls free from the net. His luxuriant use of close-ups humanizes his animal characters without idealizing them, and that’s no mean feat.”
Horn Book said, “On the front of the book itself is a second pair of telling portraits in lieu of a title; there’s an African Peaceable Kingdom on the back. One endpaper celebrates the animal-crowded Serengeti setting; the second rounds out the story with the lion and mouse families on a shared outing. It will be a challenge for libraries to make every gorgeous surface available, but it’s a challenge worth taking on.”
Kirkus called it, “A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful.”
Jerry discusses the book here:



SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Filed under: Best Books, Top 100 Picture Books Poll

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Jerry PinkneyThe Lion and the Mouse

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

August 2012

The Top 100 Lists Are Nigh. Nigh, I Say! Nigh!

by Betsy Bird

August 2012

Fusenews: Look for the Girl with the Caterpillar Tattoo and She's Gone

by Betsy Bird

July 2012

Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results

by Betsy Bird

July 2012

Top 100 Picture Books #1: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

by Betsy Bird

June 2012

Top 100 Picture Books #2: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Books on Film: 30 Years of Goosebumps on The Today Show

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Have You Seen the Darkness? A Richard Fairgray, Black Sand Beach Interview

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review | Red and Rover: Fun’s Never Over

by Mike Pawuk

Heavy Medal

Mock Newbery Update – Our List of First Half Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Book Mail: Dachshunds, monsters, magic, climate change, and more!

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

SLJ’s Reviews of the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalists

SLJ’s Reviews of the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlisters

Underdog Titles That Could Take the Prize | Pondering Printz

Hopeful Titles for Hard Times | Pondering Printz

Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards Voting Is Open

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sondy says

    June 2, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    And be sure to click through to the gallery of people Lioning themselves. My lion is math savvy and wearing my prime factorization sweater. 🙂
    This book winning the Caldecott made me so happy. I wasn’t thinking of such current books when I made my Top 10 list, but I’m so glad other people were, because this book is going to last through the ages.

  2. Aaron Becker says

    June 9, 2012 at 1:36 am

    Mr. Pinkney can handle watercolors like no one in the field.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2022


    COPYRIGHT © 2022