The Lion and the Mouse: A Fable by Aesop [Hardcover]

Bernadette Watts (Adapter, Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A reckless mouse accidentally scampers across a sleeping lion's paw. The lion awakens with a roar, but he lets the mouse go free. In gratitude, the mouse promises to help the lion if he is ever in need. The lion laughs at the very idea, but sometimes even a little mouse can be strong, and even a lion can be helpless. Bernadette Watts has created an appealing jungle setting for her simple retelling of a favorite Aesop fable.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A gentle picture-book retelling with a slightly different twist. In this version, the main characters first meet when the lion is a young cub. Years pass and the "king of the beasts" is trapped by a hunter's net and ultimately freed by the same mouse. The other details of this familiar fable remain the same, but Watts's illustrations enlarge the setting to include a fanciful African Lion King landscape dotted with meerkats, leopards, baboons, and giraffes. The text is strong with short, descriptive sentences and an effective use of repetition. The palette in the full-spread art reflects the mix of the jungle and desert landscapes depicted: pastel greens alternating with arid browns, yellows, and touches of orange. The illustrations draw upon realistic details for trees and plants yet maintain a cartoonlike sensibility for the animals. Overall, the impression created is one of passivity; there is little drama or action. While this particular adaptation has some weaknesses, it should be a useful addition to storytimes and folklore collections.
Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South / Night Sky Books (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735812209
• ISBN-13: 978-0735812208
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,376,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must own for kids, July 8, 2009

By 

C. Broberg Hilliard (Storrs, Conn.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lion and the Mouse (Paperback)

This is a classic Aesop tale with a moral that children and adults alike should take to heart. The illustrations are also delightful. We've given as gifts to our son's friends and recommend it for every child's library!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Lion and the Mouse: A Fable by Aesop, August 24, 2006

By 

Christine Powyszynski - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lion and the Mouse: A Fable by Aesop (Hardcover)

This is a great book! It simply retells the old story with beautiful illustrations. I would recomend this book to read with your small children.

3.0 out of 5 stars A Gentle, Rather Old-Fashioned Reinterpretation of Aesop's Classic, November 15, 2011

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lion and the Mouse (Paperback)

Bernadette Watts retells the classic Aesop fable, in which a mouse offends a young lion (in this version a cub). The lion extends mercy to the mouse, who promises to repay the favor someday. The lion laughs at the thought that someone so small could make a difference for himself, but many years later he is caught in a trap and the mouse is able to free him.

Watts' interpretation is illustrated with gentle colors and a serene mood, even though the characters' lives hang in the balance. The traditional moral, "Don't underestimate what even the smallest person can do" is incorporated into the lion's promise to never again laugh at someone weaker than himself. He also promises to protect the mouse, an offer not included in Aesop's pithy original.

All in all, this story isn't bad, but if you're going to take liberties with a classic plot, you ought to do it boldly. Watts' illustrations are pleasant, but a little old-fashioned, and the tale just isn't as exciting as it had the potential to be. Still, if you're trying to teach the fable to an audience which needs a visual anchor, and you can't find a copy of Jerry Pinkney's resplendent wordless version The Lion & the Mouse, or you just don't like to read wordless books aloud, this one might do the trick.

A modern twist on the old plot is available in Amos & Boris, William Steig's tale of friendship between a mouse and a whale.