The Lion and the Mouse

Jerry Pinkney worked on a collection of Aesop's Fables--years ago--and, after that, he found himself returning again and again (in his thoughts) to "The Lion and the Mouse."

This is a standard tale of two unlikely friends assisting each other. (It took an aquatic form in William Steig's "Amos and Boris.") A mouse flees an owl and plunges into the fur of a majestic lion. The lion ponders this situation. He could have a mouse for a snack. But he is magnanimous; he releases the mouse. Later, his kindness is repaid. Poachers ensnare the lion. But the mouse--recalling earlier generosity--runs to the lion and chews through various knots. The lion is freed.

Pinkney says--as a child--he mainly admired the mouse. That clever guy--asserting some power over a lion! But, in adulthood, Pinkney recognizes that the lion is just as enchanting as the mouse. To have great brute force, and to choose *not* to use that force in a punitive way: That's a sign of nobility.

I like Pinkney's character development: You can see the skepticism and irritation and fear in the lion's eyes, as he waits to discover what his fate will be. You fall in love with the tiny mice as they examine a bit of knot-detritus, as if welcoming an alien visitor. I like the "video camera" aura in these pages; sometimes, we get a breathtaking landscape, and sometimes we get an extreme closeup of a face.

Pure talent, pure imagination. Not that that's news. This book was a major award-winner. Five stars.

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