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Reading Rockets' children's literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids' books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.
Roar (and more)
Imagine…a small mouse being chased by a hungry owl disturbs a fierce looking lion. The lion, however, release the mouse only to be caught up in a rope trap himself. When the mouse hears the lion's roar, what does he do?
If you've read the "Lion and the Mouse," a fable credited to Aesop or even a tale called "Androcles and the Lion" (in a collection by Joseph Jacobs now long out of print) then you know it's been around for a while, a long while.
What can be done to make an old, even ancient tale brand new? You'll want to be sure to look for Jerry Pinkney's wordless picture book telling due out this September. I just returned from a conference where I actually got to see and hold The Lion & the Mouse (Little Brown) — and it's truly a stunner.
Everything from the feel of the paper calls to mind the African savannah (maybe the Serengeti) where both animals live. No words — even on the cover — are needed in this unique telling of unlikely friendship and assistance coming from surprising places. The emotions, subplots, motivation, and tension — all hallmarks of well-told tales — are conveyed visually.
Children, even the youngest, can visit the lion's habitat again and again. It might just spark interest in lions or other animals or even in Africa. Who knows where it could go? That's what makes books so exciting. They intrigue and inspire — and the good ones do it without being didactic.
The Lion and the Mouse really is a tale that roars, and more.
