Our friends, the Rathers, remembered I collect Caldecott books and gave us this book to celebrate June’s arrival. We love it! It’s called The Lion & the Mouse and it’s the most recent Caldecott award recipient. It’s by Jerry Pinkney and it tells the story of the famous fable. But. Because it’s wordless, the illustrations do all the story-telling. (Although, thankfully, there’s recap of the fable in the end notes. Very helpful for those of us who couldn’t remember how it went.)
This book is beautiful. It’s a perfect one for a slow afternoon — when you can take the time to let your kids explore the illustrations and think of what the story might be.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I saw Jerry Pinkney’s acceptance speech at the Newbery/Caldecott dinner. Very moving. He’s been at this for decades and has won the Caldecott Honor many times. This is his first Caldecott Gold and it is well-deserved.
This has nothing to do with the book, but I am going crazy searching for an embroidery pattern I SWEAR I printed off your blog last year (or maybe even two years ago…yeah, I procrastinate). It had a mushroom, a hedge hog, a squirrel, and a tree, and they were just simple illustrations. I lost my print out, and am finally getting around to teaching my daughter (and myself) to embroider. Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?
One of my (non-reading) kids got this for their birthday this very month and loved it, stopping to intently study each illustration and asking questions about if the lion was nice or not along the way. Great book.
LOVE this book! It’s beautiful. The librarian, at the school where I teach, was part of the Caldecott selection committee and shared Jerry Pinkney’s reaction to the news that he had won. We’re so excited to have him come to our school next spring.
I adore the book & Jerry too. He’s one of the people who has helped to shepherd a favorite place of mine into the world, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: http://www.carlemuseum.org/
Even if you can only visit virtually for now, so worth it. Jerry’s work is so deserving of the honor received (& so glad you shone a light on this beautiful book & his amazing work; it’s a book creating family, the Pinkney family).
We have this book and love it. The illustrations are so rich! It has been great to read aloud to my preschooler and toddler–they love the sound effects I’ve made up to go along with the simple story and “retell” it themselves. Didn’t realize it just received the Caldecott–sounds like I’ll have to look for the acceptance speech. I love his Little Red Hen too…
oh – beautiful illustrations! Will definitely add it to my wish list of books for our son!
For some more beautiful illustrations, check out my favorite book: Unwitting Wisdom by Helen Ward. It’s a compilation of Aesop’s fables, but has gorgeous print and illustrations to boot.
Ooh – my dad bought this book for my sons last Christmas and we LOVE it. The illustrations are gorgeous!
I love Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations. I took a grad class with a close relative of his who is in education. This looks beautiful and it is such a wonderful story.
the illustrations are awesome wow
it is a beautiful book, one we have given as a gift before, too. we also love Pinkney’s little red hen.