The Lion and the Stoat

by Paul O. Zelinsky

Two great artists, a lion and a stoat, are in constant competition.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1984

About the author

Born 1953

Paul O. Zelinsky grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, the son of a mathematics professor and a medical illustrator. He drew compulsively from an early age, but did not know until college that this would be his career. As a Sophomore in Yale College he enrolled in a course on the history and practice of the picture book, co-taught by an English professor and Maurice Sendak. This experience inspired Paul to point himself in the direction of children's books. His first book appeared in 1978, since which time he has become recognized as one of the most inventive and critically successful artists in the field.

He now lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York. They have two grown daughters.

Among many other awards and prizes, he received the 1998 Caldecott Medal for his illustrated retelling of Rapunzel, as well as Caldecott Honors for three of his books: Hansel and Gretel (1985), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), and Swamp Angel (1995).

(Source: http://paulozelinsky.com

Reviews

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny short story. Some elements in the illustrations were clever.

[Beth Bauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story about competition and art. I would definitely recommend this book to all of my artistic students and even to those who may feel that they work better alone. This book ends by encouraging team work. The main message I got from it was that although we can do well by ourselves, we can do even better when we work together. It would also serve as a good read aloud when conflicts arise in the classroom that stem from egos. I especially like the fact that it is a chapter book, so I'm able to leave my students wanting more which may lead to them reading it independently. Cute story with great illustrations!

[Marfita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zelinsky has put together (having adapted some of it from Pliny the Elder's Natural History) a fine story about competition, ego, and art. The lion and stoat are artists who compete with each other on three separate occasions. In the end they decide to not compete with each other any more ... at least not in art. The illustrations are charming as well - especially the "nude" tigers.