The Lion and the Mouse

Pinkney, J. (2009). The Lion and the Mouse. Illustrations by Jerry Pinkney. Singapore: Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Brief Annotation: This classic fable is of the lion and the mouse. Two unlikely friends. The lion catches the mouse one day and makes a life changing decision to let him go. A few days later the lion wanders into a trap and gets stuck in the nets. The mouse comes along and chews away the netting, setting the lion free. The fable teaches us to be compassionate, even to creatures that may normally eat us.

Genre: Picturebook- Wordless

Grade Level: Pre-K- 3rd Grade

Readers who will like this: This is a wordless picturebook, so really anyone can “read” it. The illustrations are truly amazing and show the story with such detail that it feels like you are reading words even when you are not. This would be a wonderful book to show to young students during a read aloud. It could also be great for students who are just starting to read and need to learn how to comprehend stories.

Response/Rating (1-4):4, Absolutely stunning! Pinkney is truly gifted and the illustrations in this book are beautiful. I loved every part of the book. The storyline is so sweet and the underlying theme is such a classic one, it's always good to remember to be nice to everyone.. you never know when they might need to help you out.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: “Do you think a lion and a mouse can be friends?”