A hermit knows the magic to change a small mouse into a cat, a dog, and a majestic tiger -- and Marcia Brown's magical woodcuts bring this Indian fable to life with the mastery that won her her second Caldecott Medal.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Browse the best books for every age and adventure including popular series, classics, and editors' picks in our Kids Summer Reading Store. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Marcia Brown, one of the most honored illustrators in children's literature, is a three-time Caldecott Medalist and six-time Caldecott Honor illustrator, as well as winner of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for the body of her work. She lives in Laguna Hills, California.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Described in its day as attaining, "a fluidity rare in the medium", this illustrated book of woodcuts tells a simple fable that has remained beloved for decades. Claiming to be a tale told from ancient India, the story follows a man, a mouse, and the downfall of pride. A wise hermit lives alone in the forest when he happens to spy a mouse about to be eaten. Fearful for the little creature, the man changes his new friend into a cat. When a dog threatens his cat, he turns the mouse into a dog, and then (after a similar situation) into a tiger. Now a fine feline of a beast, the former mouse lords his newfound state over the other animals of the forest. After planning the death of his benefactor, the man changes the tiger into a mouse again and everything goes back to as it was (with the mouse, I suspect, a little wiser).
The woodcuts are fine indeed. Delicate little illustrations imbued with life and verve. From snarling dogs to transformed mice the images stand for themselves. I hadn't been aware of the author/illustrator's work before reading her winning, "Stone Soup". After comparing the two, I have to say they're definitely of equal interest. It's nice to see a book giving a clear sighted look at a fable from another country (in this case, India) without any stereotypes or racism. All in all, it's a nice little book with a strong moral core.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"A rajah of ancient India is said to have had such popular animal fables collected as a 'mirror for princes' to instruct his errant sons." This particular fable is about a mouse who is helped by a forest hermit with magic powers. The Indian hermit magically transforms the mouse into a cat, a dog, and finally a tiger; however, when the tiger gets too proud and forgets its origins, the hermit turns it back into a mouse.
I love this book because the story teaches many lessons and does not have just one definitive moral. The story could serve as a springboard for discussing several topics with young children: the importance of knowing where you came from, the importance of humility, the Hindu concepts of reincarnation and karma, Darwin's theory of evolution, and even which animals make good pets and which ones don't.
The award-winning illustrations are also unique and action-packed, and they perfectly complement the text.
Children ages 2 and up will enjoy having this story read to them, and children ages 4-8 will probably be able to read the simple text on their own. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages! It's an ancient Indian treasure.
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This short tale for young children is based on an old Indian story from the "Hitopadesa." In ancient India, a wise man saves a mouse by magically transforming him into other animals. Finally, the mouse is changed into a tiger but becomes too arrogant, forgetting that he was once a mouse. The book is illustrated by woodcuts and it won the 1962 Caldecott Medal for best illustration in a book for children.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Classic, but disappointing...
It might be a classic story, but left me rather disappointed and it left my son not really knowing what to make of it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by CB
5.0 out of 5 stars
Once a Mouse
I smiled as I looked at the cover of Marcia Brown's 1961 copy of "Once a Mouse..." The cover has a tiger looking down at a mouse, reminds me of watercolor by-the-number painting. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Aida
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good message - not very engaging
I was hoping this fable would be much more engaging than it is. There are only a few words per page and the story is very very simple with little suspense. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Kelly Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good story with unique illustrations
My daughter who is 6 has loved this story since she was 4. Nicely written with very unique illustrations, the story teaches a nice moral in a folktale manner. Read more
Published on September 29, 2009 by Veronica
4.0 out of 5 stars
The India version of "don't get too big for your britches..."
An Indian hermit saves a mouse. With a little bit of magic, he turns the mouse into increasingly ferocious animals, until the mouse {now a tiger) threatens the hermit. Read more
Published on March 25, 2009 by R Schmidt
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent and ancient tale from India just right for children
This story is an ancient fable from India; the difference here is that the images are rendered in woodcuts. Read more
Published on January 29, 2009 by Charles Ashbacher
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superlative pictures tell a story and win the Prize.
"Once A Mouse" is a fable from India adapted by Marcia Brown who won the Caldecott medal in 1962 for the marvelous woodcuts in this book. Read more
Published on February 24, 2007 by mcHaiku
4.0 out of 5 stars
once a mouse
I thought that this was a good book beacause it really is good for little kids. It is a easy book to read with very detailed pictures describing what is happening. Read more
Published on October 23, 2001 by "jgfairc"
5.0 out of 5 stars
once a mouse
This book is about a hermit who helps a little mouse. It is very detailed in both pictures and writing. Read more
Published on October 22, 2001
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
