BOOK OF THE DAY: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

The Lion & the Mouse

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. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he'd planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher's trap. 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. ~ Product Review from Amazon

One of the reasons I love this version of the story is the illustrations! They are amazingly engaging! It's no surprise that this book is the winner of a 2010 Caldecott Medal. The book has minimal text (mostly onomatopoeia), but the illustrations tell the story in an obvious way.

Related Activities:

• I know I say this often when I present my Book of the Day, but I'll say it again. Learn about the author, Jerry Pickney. Show children his photograph, learn about his life. Helping children learn about authors and illustrators adds a level of reality to the books you read. Children are able to see authors and illustrators as "real people" and may be more likely to see themselves as authors and illustrators too! View this interview with Jerry Pickney from Reading Rockets.
• Learn about onomatopoeia! Young children LOVE to learn big words. Make a list of onomatopoeic words. Tip: You may want to make the list on chart paper and leave it hanging in the room - children will think of many words over the next few days to add to the list! Examples: animal sounds (like oink, meow, moo), honk-honk (Wheels on the Bus song is full of them!), zip, crash, hiccup, zoom, slurp, bang, etc...
• Learn about the Serengeti (the setting for this book).
• Make a flannel board version of the story for the children to re-tell in their own words.
• Explain what a "fable" is and read other fables.
• Visit First School and DLTK for more :Lion and the Mouse patterns and activities. 
• Make lion masks and mouse puppets (from Enchanted Learning).
• Read other versions of The Lion and the Mouse and compare the stories.