Little Mouse and Elephant: A Tale from Turkey [Library Binding]

Jane Yolen (Author), John Segal (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996 | Age Level: 3 and up

Boasting about his strength, Little Mouse ignores warnings to keep his pride hidden from Elephant and marches off to teach his large nemesis a thing or two, surprising everyone with the outcome of their confrontation.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3?Two folktales retold by an experienced storyteller are presented in small, square volumes. The less familiar Little Mouse is a "numbskull" story about an insignificant rodent with delusions of grandeur who convinces himself, if not the other animals, that he has defeated an elephant. The familiar Grimm tale follows the adventures of four abandoned domestic animals as they triumph over a band of robbers. Both books set the illustrations, pastel watercolors framed in wide white margins, on pages opposite the texts. The boxed-in figures are stylized and deliberately naive in conception, their actions frozen. "The Bremen-Town Musicians" has been retold in many picture-book versions, notably by artist Ilse Plume (HarperCollins, 1987), who uses similar pastel colors and naive style, yet creates a livelier and more expressive visual narrative. The Turkish story, for which no specific source is given, can be found in Barbara K. Walker's A Treasury of Turkish Folktales for Children (Linnet, 1988; o.p.). Yolen's fluid style enlivens each tale, but the illustrations do not have the same verve.?Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Library Binding: 1 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Juv); 1st edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689804938
• ISBN-13: 978-0689804939
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,876,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."