Saturday, April 13, 2013

41. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney



















Bibliographic Citation:
Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009. 40 p. ISBN 978-0316013567. 


Awards/Selection Lists:
School Library Journal Starred Review and Best Book of the Year, 2009
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
The Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 2009
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2010
Caldecott Medal, 2010

Format Examined:
Hard cover


Annotation:
The author/illustrator uses beautiful artwork and very little words to retell Aesop's fable of a lion who spares a mouse's life and is repaid when he needs help.

Personal Reaction:
No text is needed to tell this story. Jerry Pinkney's watercolor paintings are so vivid, showing details and textures that are truly realistic. The story, a classic fable, begins with a mouse scampering across a field away from an owl, as he stumbles across the back of a lion. The lion allows the mouse to live, and later, when the lion needs help out of a net where he has been caught, the mouse climbs into the net and nibbles through to help the lion escape. The lesson represented is that of kindness to others.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children ages 2-5 years of age.


Themes/Issues:
Kindness, showing mercy


Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are a large focus of this nearly wordless book. Children are encouraged to help tell the story in their own words according to what they see happening in the illustrations.

Phonological Awareness: 

Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:

Print motivation is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Motivation: 

While there is not much printed text within this book, motivation toward looking at the book, and wanting to hear the story "read" is fostered toward illustrations that are so realistic that they tell the story on their own. This timeless tale is one that children will enjoy looking at and hearing many times over.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary is not based on printed text, but on the words that the reader shares as the story is told to the child. Kindness and mercy are two words that describe the events of the story well.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/

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