Critical Evaluation of The Lion & The Mouse

(Photo Credit: Crausman, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/79285665@N00/4315123328/)

Critical Evaluation of Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & The Mouse

2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner

Book Information: The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2009). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: 1st edition. New York, NY. ISBN: 0316013560.

Wikipedia states the criteria for receiving the Caldecott medal as:

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  published in the United States
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  having original illustrations
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  the illustrator must live in or originate from the United States
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  considering: artistic technique used, appropriateness of style, plot, theme, characters, setting, and mood, information portrayed by the illustrations.
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  Must also take children's understanding into account.
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  must be able to be enjoyed alone without the assistance of other media.

The ALA (2010) describes Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & The Mouse by stating:

"In glowing colors, Pinkney's textured watercolor illustrations masterfully portray the relationship between two very unlikely friends"

Savvyauntie (2010) recognizes the book by claiming:

 "The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to one children's book based on the illustrative depiction of a story. The cover alone of this magnificent work will convince you that the book is worthy . . . words would be nothing more than a distraction in this story that is so masterfully told through pictures".

Summary

The cover of Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & The Mouse holds no title. In its place is a full-page illustration of a lion with great expression in his face. The back cover holds an equally expressive full-page illustration of a mouse. A retelling of the conventional Aesop fable, Pinkney tells the story of two unlikely friends through a wordless narrative via his signature watercolor and colored pencil supplemented with the occasional animal sound.

The Illustrations Tell the Story

• No title is necessary on the cover, the illustration of the lion is sufficient explanation. The reader sees the direction of the lion's gaze and the troubled expression on his face. This portrays suspense to make the reader want to open the book to determine what is wrong. This hooks the reader from the cover alone.
• The mouse depicted on the back cover looks back towards the lion, prompting the reader to make guesses as to the relationship between the two animals.
• With nothing but illustration and the occasional animal sound, Jerry Pinkney is able to retell the traditional Aesop fable of the lion and the mouse.
• Pinkney's craft of visual storytelling alternates between panels, white space, and full-page color spreads. Timing and inserts of onomatopoeic animal sounds serve as the only dialogue.
• The reader notices that the size of the lion adn the mouse is comparative on the front and back covers. Perhaps not a coincidence, the scale representation can help tell the moral of the story.
• The intricate pictures reveal the plot as well as the the emotions of the characters, eliminating the need for words and dialogue.
• On page 60, Vardell (2008) cites the importance of illustrations telling the story by saying: "for young children, reading the pictures is an important part of early literacy. In fact, this can be a helpful barometer of an effective picture book, if the illustrations carry enough narrative to reveal a story thread".

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com, http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/awardwinners/fr/lion-pinkney.htm

Media & The Style of Art

• In the Lion & The Mouse, Jerry Pinkney uses painterly illustration media. The illustrator makes use of mainly watercolors, pen, and ink.
• Pinkney's artistic style is representational yet very realistic.
• Land features and animals depicted are masterfully portrayed and easily recognizable.
• The setting of the African Serengeti Plain is intricately illustrated with vivid detail and a wide range of appropriate color. The illustrator is accurate in his depiction of the Serengeti since each animal drawn has the Serengeti as it's natural habitat. This gives the reader a great deal of detail about the African landscape.
• Pinkney utilizes mostly earth tones in his palette: earthy colors of orange, green, and brown. Lion colors are a mixture of orange, red, yellow, and brown. Mouse colors include brown and light gray shades.The mouse's soft grays pop and the reader can almost feel the texture of the lion's luxurious mane.
• Viewpoint: Pinkney allows for close-ups of the lion, mouse, and events in the story. He also includes views from overhead and panoramic illustrations.
•  The close-up views of the animals allow for human-like expression, making the lion and the mouse readible identifiable to the reader. This is especially seen in the eyes of the animals.
• Pinkney takes care to show detail, as seen in the mouse's little paws.
• Other animals depicted include: ostriches, zebras, giraffe, deer, elephants, owl, baboons, and water buffalo.

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lion-and-the-Mouse/Jerry-Pinkney/e/9780316013567/

Mood, Plot & Pacing (An Overview)

•  Vardell (2008) quotes Zena Sutherland (2004) as:

          "believ[ing] that the illustrations in a picture book should have storytelling qualities, a style  of art that is appropriate to the story, and reflect warmth and vitality either through rich and harmonious color or appropriate use of monochrome. The illustrations help create the mood of the story , as well as the pacing and tension from page to page" (p. 59-60).

• Jerry Pinkney makes great use of harmonious colors in The Lion & The Mouse. The light yellow tints of the pages, the browns and golden hues, the pastels and quiet colors attract readers and non-readers alike.
• The contrast in colors used by Pinkney suggest action, moving the plot onwards and helping to tell the story.
• The pale cream backgrounds focus the reader's attention to the features of the animals and the action of the story.
• Pinkney uses panels throughout the book to indicate time.
• Through his lavish art, Pinkney is able to create astounding detail. The reader is drawn by the depiction of feathers and fur and the waves in the lion's mane.
•  The reader will notice the calming details of the multihued green trees and the sight of the various animals caring for their young. A variant of most adaptations of the traditional Aesop fable, in Pinkney's version the animals all have families (the lion is a father, the mouse is a mother to a brood of little mice). This helps show the abundance, yet fragility of the wildlife in the African Serengeti.
• Kraus (2009) states that:

          “Pinkney’s soft, multihued strokes make everything in the jungle seem alive, right down to the rocks,    as he bleeds color to indicate movement, for instance, when the lion falls free from the net. His luxuriant use of close-ups humanizes his animal characters without idealizing them, and that’s no mean feat.” (p. 63).

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lion-and-the-Mouse/JerryPinkney/e/9780316013567/

• From the opening, the reader can see the mouse is sitting on a rock and staring at the evening sky. The light blues given to the sky and the muted yellows of the setting sun suggest a sense of calm and peace. Even the color blends representing the rocks are beautiful.
• The mouse is finely illustrated, with intricate detail given to his face, his fur, his ears, and his paws.
• The owl swoops down to capture the little mouse, and the owl is displayed using many tones of brown and cream with lifelike eyes. The reader can see the little mouse scurry back to safety by hiding in a hole.
• As the mouse runs away, he unknowingly lands on the back of a lion. The illustration of the mouse partially hidden in the reeds of grass, sitting on the lion's back, with his tail obscured in the background is gorgeous. The reader feels a sense of suspense, and wonders what will happen to the mouse. Is he in danger? Will he escape?
• With only one word "squeak" on a full two-page spread, Pinkney is able to display that the mouse may be eaten by the lion. The emotion brought about by the colors, the fierce swowl on the lion's face,  and the little mouse who covers his ears with fright is captivating.

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lion-and-the-Mouse/JerryPinkney/e/9780316013567/.

• The reader can see the struggle evident in the lion's face as he wants to eat the mouse. The reader cab also view the beseeching, pitiful look on the mouse's face hoping to be saved from certain death.
• The lion sets the mouse free, and one can see the look of relief expressed on the mouse's face. Happiness is shown when the mouse returns to her little family.
• The illustrations of the lion show him as a magnificent creature among the other animals. Great detail is given to his whiskers, his snout, and the size of his paws amongst the giraffes, elephants, and surrounding grassland.
• With a "putt-putt" poachers arrive in a jeep, and the two men's faces are not shown. Perhaps this was done intentionally by the illustrator to only give the animals animated expressions and identifiable emotions.
• The lion is seen walking along the jungle from an overhead view, with the monkeys and the birds nestled among the trees next to the waiting net. Sensing impending doom, the reader wants to somehow warn the lion.
• Pinkney provides a close-up look at the lion's two front paws as he encounters the net. The subsequent page shows the lion's fear and his rage at being trapped as he is helpless stuck in the net high up in the tree while the monkeys and birds can only watch.
• A two-page "ROAR" in large capital letters suggest the depth of the lion's despair. Under the text is an illustration of the mouse with a curious expression as he encounters the situation.
• As the mouse comes along the trapped lion, there is a close-up view of the lion's face with a look of utter defeat, sadness, and perhaps uncertainty as to what the mouse could possibly do to help him.

Photo Credit: Barnes & Noble, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lion-and-the-Mouse/JerryPinkney/e/9780316013567/.

• The illustrator draws a close-up of the mouse's face as he goes about freeing the lion. The reader can see the look of intent on his face as he busies himself gnawing through the ropes of the net.
• The mouse's face displays pride, joy, and excitement as he realizes he has successfully freed the lion from the confines of the poachers' net.
• The lion crashes to the ground, portraying the comparative sizes between the lion and the mouse in great detail. This helps the illustrator highlight that the mouse was able to save the lion regardless of his size. The mouse was able to help the large, ferocious lion when he could not help himself.
• With the last illustration of the two animals together, their expressions portray that they have reached a newfoudn respect for eachother and an understanding that a good deed has been returned.
• The mouse scurries off with a piece of gnawed off rope, down into a little hole in the ground. She gives the section of rope to her children to gnaw on, perhaps as a toy or as evidence of her good deed. The scene suggests the warmth of family, love and caring. The lion prowls off with his female companion and his cubs with a protective look on his face.
• The extra details included by the illustrator (ie. the details of the grass, the occasional weed, a hopping frog, various insects, the bark of the tree, and the tightly woven strands of rope) help complete each page, while adding to the storyline and realistic look of the illustrations.
• This whimsical and engaging adaptation of the traditional classic allows for creativity. The reader can embellish the storyline with each retelling. Readers are able to identify new and interesting details with each new read. Great for a read aloud, Jerry Pinkney's version of The Lion & The Mouse allows for a slightly different version of the story to be experienced with each new read. One can constantly analyze what is happening in each picture and focus on different aspects each time.

Photo Credit: amythelibrariangriffin, Flickr, ALA 2009, http://www.flickr.com/photos/amythelibrariangriffin/3721903448/.

Illustrator's Note:

"These engaging characters led me to make the story even fuller by providing a sense of family and setting . . . [I am] fascinated with the vast medley of sounds coming from the surrounding woods, and that chorus of chatters and squeals helped shape the idea of selectively using animal sounds to gently enhance the story, while allowing the visuals - as well as the reader's imagination - to drive the narrative". (The Lion & The Mouse, 2009, afterword).


 In the following video, illustrator Jerry Pinkney discusses his book The Lion & The Mouse.

Video Credit: LittleBrownBooks, September 21, 2009, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iptWPwWbwgM.