The Lion and the Mouse

by Carol Jones

In an adaptation of a classic fable, an adventurous mouse proves that even tiny creatures can be capable of great deeds after he rescues the King of the Jungle.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

30 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1997

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aesop's simple fable about a lion and a mouse is considerably expanded in Carol Jones' picture-book adaptation, in which a young mouse longs for adventure, and finds more than he bargained for in the jungle. Almost eaten by alligators, rescued by a monkey, and spared by the king of the beasts, the mouse's exploits are rounded out by his brave actions in saving the lion. The story closes as he returns to his sailing vessel on the back of a sea turtle...

Like Jones' other Aesop adaptation, Town Mouse Country Mouse , the narrative here is enjoyable, though not especially memorable. The pen and watercolor illustrations are pleasant, and I was amused by the book's design, in which a "peep hole" in every other page allows young readers a glimpse of what is to come.

[10kbenhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this modification of a familiar fable, a brave and adventurous mouse proves that even the smallest of creatures have the potential of doing great acts when he rescues the King of the Beasts: The Lion. The moral of the story is that even those who are small are capable of doing amazing things. One day, a little mouse scampers over a sleeping lion cub’s paw. The cub wakes with a “ROAR”, but lets the mouse go free. The mouse promises to repay the lion for sparing his life. The lion laughs because the mouse is so small, and he is a big, strong lion. Many years later, the lion falls into a trap and calls for help. None of the animals are able to help the lion until the little mouse shows up like promised. The mouse chews a hole in the net, freeing the lion. This teaches the lion to never laugh at someone who is smaller or weaker than him. The lion and the mouse become best friends.

I thought this book was cute. The images in the book are vivid and lively. The illustrator fills the pages with a wide variety of colors. It has a great lesson behind the story.

[Melissa Bray · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a tale of two unlikely friends, The Lion and the Mouse show readers a bond of companionship and the power of unity and helping one another. The mouse is likely to be eaten by the lion, how the mouse steps up to the lion’s aid when he is in trouble. That is when an improbable friendship begins.
Traditional styles and elements of literature shown in The Lion and the Mouse include the characters, theme, and plot. The characters of this story are obvious to the title. This story is kept very simple with few, unassuming characters. The theme of this story is expressed greatly through its message of friendship. A moral is concluded at the end of the story, as in most traditional literature. Traditional tales are heavy on actions, but light on character sketches and background, and the plot of The Lion and the Mouse stays very true to traditional literature.

[Olivia Rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel uses watercolor to demonstrate rather realistic illustrations of a desert-like scenery where a lion and a mouse reside. I felt that the illustrations in this book helped the reader better understand the sequences occurring through this book. However, I feel that the strong suite of this novel was the lesson learned at the end. The lesson taught here is that you should not underestimate someone because of their size or age. I feel that this is an important lesson to teach children early on, so they understand that we need to strive to live in a world of equality. Although the message the author was trying to get across was wonderful, I felt that this picture book was not the best. The illustrations in this novel were more in-depth than the storyline was. I feel that this novel deserves a three-star rating due to the lack of challenging components.

[Lagobond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't immediately take to Carol Jones' illustrations line-and-wash illustrations. They feel unfocused and overly busy to me, and at times downright ugly, although the color choices are lovely. What won me over were the peepholes: round cut-outs in every other page that give kids a preview of what's to come, as well as refocusing a detail from what we've already seen. This makes the book feel more dynamic, at times changing our interpretation of what we see. Clever and engaging. (Apparently this book is part of a series that employ this device.)

The story is an expanded version of Aesop's fable, our hero Mouse repeateldy stumbling from grave danger to unexpected salvation. Sadly the storytelling is rather pedestrian, not something I would want to read over and over to a youngster.

[Terri Zumbahlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This version of the story, while true to the original telling, contains a lot of detail I feel would not retain engagement for younger children. For use in the classroom I would use a simpler version. However the graphics are very realistic and engaging.

[McKenzie Emberton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how this story can relate to children because their always so curious about life. Overall I thought was a great story about life and told in a simple way that was easy to understand.

[Gianna Gaspard · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Shelby Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Lion and the Mouse
Author: Carol Jones
Illustrator:
Genre: Fable, Non-fiction
Theme(s): "Small creatures are capable of great deeds", Friendship, Adventure
Opening line/sentence: "One afternoon, Mouse was looking for some adventure."
Brief Book Summary: Mouse is ready for an adventure and makes it from his home on the boat to the vast jungle. Meanwhile, the king of the jungle, a mighty lion, makes his presence known. Mouse has many near death experiences but always manages to escape (with some help from other jungle animals). When he is captured by the Lion, he talks the lion into letting him go and promises to repay the favor. The lion laughs, but lets him go. Soon after, the lion gets trapped by a net set by hunters. The Mouse hears his cry and chews through the rope to free him. With gratitude, the lion helps Mouse get back home and announces that "small creatures are capable of great deeds."
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature)
This is a wonderfully illustrated version of the story about a mouse and a lion becoming friends and it also brings new meaning to the phrase, "One good deed deserves another." The peephole pictures give an added dimension sure to please young readers. 1997, Houghton Mifflin
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Houghton/Lorraine (4) K-3 series. Jones retells this traditional story about a mouse who begs a lion to spare his life and promises to return the favor some day. As in her previous picture-book retellings, a peephole in the center of the page allows readers to see a bit of the scene to come. Both text and illustrations are detailed and provide an overly elaborate frame for the simple story.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I feel as though the two professional reviews are lackluster. While they note the creative elements of the book, such as the peephole that gives a glimpse into the next page, they do not go into detail about the style or illustrations of each page. One reviewer said the text and illustrations were "overly elaborate", but I found that they made the story come to life and provide creative avenues to take as a teacher, when reading this book.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The familiar plot of the story reveals a great message to children (and adults alike)- that no matter how small, you can make a difference in the world. I believe this very relevant to students and introduces a fundamental theme. The illustrations were well done and very detailed. I like the peephole found on each page, as it allows the reader to stop and make a prediction about the next page.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would definitely take advantage of the peepholes that are present on each page. This could be used to introduce prediction and context clues (in the text and through images). After reading the book I might have children draw a peephole of their own- asking what they think happened to the mouse or the lion once they returned to their homes.

[Casey Mcguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main Characters: Mouse, Lion
Setting: Jungle

Grade/Interest Level: Primary
Reading Level: 350 L
Genre: Fantasy, Picture Book

Summary:
The Lion and the Mouse, written by Carol Jones, is a story about an adventurous mouse who leaves the safety of his home and explores a nearby jungle. Mouse faces several challenges during his time there with other creatures, but escapes them through his words and the help of Monkey. Mouse promises to repay Lion for not eating him and although Lion laughs it off, Mouse ends up staying true to his word.

I would use this book as a read-aloud for a younger grade level (Kindergarten-2nd grade). This story is simple, but it could show students that people (in this case animals) come in all shapes and sizes, but can still contribute and do brave and noble acts. This story could lead into a great conversation about students who have done actions that others did not think they were capable of, just like Mouse saving Lion.

[Viridiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: "The Lion and the Mouse" by Carol Jones
Grade/interest level: k to 2nd grade
Guided Reading Level:K
Genre: Picture book
Award: Caldecott Award

Main Characters: The lion and the mouse
Setting: The jungle
POV: Narrative

Summary: This book has great illustrations and includes few sounds that the animals make in the jungle. It is an Aesop’s fable, about a mouse who accidentally disturbs a lion from his rest. The lion decides to let go of his prey and the mouse becomes in debt with the lion. Then the lion is captivated in a poacher’s trap in the jungle. The mouse then releases the lion from the trap that captivated the lion. As he releases him, the lion is grateful for his deliverance. The mouse then returns home and takes a piece of the rope as a symbol of courage. The mouse had save the life of the lion.

I would use this book in my classroom when teaching on the topic about friendship.

[Bobbi Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lion and The Mouse
Rate: 5
This was an adorable story about how a mouse had an adventure. He wanted to see what was on top of the boat. He fell off the boat though and landed in the water on a piece of wood. The wood drifted to shore at the jungle. There he met crocodiles, a lion, and a monkey. The lion was about to eat him but he decided not to because they mouse said he could help him. The mouse almost got eaten by a Python but got away quickly. He heard the lion cry for help and he helped set him free and the lion for saying he was thankful took the mouse back to his family. This shows that you do not have to be any certain size to help someone out of trouble. It also shows that everyone has a different set of skills that the other may not have. So do not underestimate someone on their size or ability to help you. It also had wonderful illustrations to help you imagine what the jungle looks like.

[Karen Hixson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Lion and The Mouse" by Carol Jones is a cute story. I think children in grades K-2nd would enjoy this book. It is about a mouse who goes on an adventure. He learns how dangerous it is to go out into the jungle. He decides being at home on the boat isn't so bad after all. The illustration is a bit busy but I think it gives you the feeling of the adventure Mouse is experiencing. This is a good book. It is fun to read, I think children will enjoy it. They can learn about a lot of different animals.

[Kiddo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful language. Neat window (hole in the center of every other page) for the full page illustrations.

[Cody Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are an animal lover you will enjoy this book. It is about a mouse who encounters a lion in the jungle and experiences life and death situations. A thriller for young Children

[Melissa Brickel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! I would read this for mid to upper elementary, could be a little long of a book for lower elementary

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! This book told a story without even using words. I love that there is still a setting, the forest. There are still characters. And there is still a plot. I am so amused that the author/ artist was able to show what happened in the tale without using sentences or words for that matter.