Caldecott Medal Winner
The Lion & the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney
Summary
Jerry Pinkney retells the classic Aesop fable about a mighty lion who spares a small mouse, only to be rescued later when the grateful mouse gnaws through the ropes of a hunter's net. The book uses almost no words, letting lush watercolor and colored pencil illustrations of the African Serengeti carry the entire story through expressive animal faces and sweeping landscapes. It stands as a powerful argument that small acts of kindness matter and that wordless picture books can deliver rich, emotional storytelling.
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Historical Context & Significance
This was the first Caldecott Medal of Jerry Pinkney's long career after five Caldecott Honor citations, and it is a nearly wordless retelling of an Aesop fable.