The Lion & The Mouse

By Jerry Pinkney.  A native of Philadelphia he studied at the Philadelphia College of Art.  He is an award winning illustrator of children's books, having been honored 5 times each by the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award.  He currently lives in Westchester County, NY with his wife.  For more information click here.

Genre: Fiction
Theme:Animals/ Folklore/Fables
Ages: 3-8

Summary:  This is a wordless picture book version of the Aesop fable about the lion and the mouse.  The unlikely pair of creatures learn to help one another and build a friendship.





Link to Picture

Pre-Reading Activity:   Assess prior knowledge by asking if anyone had ever heard of a fable, or knew what one was.  Have a brief discussion about folklore or wise advice in the form of stories.  Ask students if they have ever heard a story about the lion and the mouse. Read a short version of Aesop's Fable, "The Lion and the Mouse".  Have students keep this brief story in mind as they go through this wordless picture book.

Post-Reading Activity: Have students individually, in pairs, or in small groups depending on class size and ability take one page each of the story, and write the words to describe what is happening in it.  Compile class  written words to go along with pictures and create the book.  Read to whole class to see how well everyone has done with creating their own story to go along with the pictures.

Reflection: I really enjoy nearly text less picture books.  They create a world of imagination and individuality to the reader responsible for creating meaning for the pictures. This is a great opportunity to discuss making inferences and observations to support them.  It is also a wonderful text to discuss sequencing, the events of the story are still known thanks to the order of the pictures.