"As a child I was inspired to see the majestic king of the jungle saved by the determination and hard work of a humble rodent; as an adult I've come to appreciate how both animals are equally large at heart: the courageous mouse and the lion who must rise above his beastly nature to set his small prey free." (from the Artist's Note)
It's about the art! It has to be...there are no words! The story begins on the cover. We see a seemingly curious, and perhaps fearful, lion looking at something...turn to the back and we see the mouse, diminutive and inquisitive, but unfazed. On to the front endpapers...the Serengeti teeming with family groups. The mouse is not evident. The endpapers that follow the story are also family oriented; the families of both lion and mouse. Witness the community created when one creature helps another, and how their story continues. (And don't miss the cub who tags along with help from his Dad.)
All this before you get to the 'meat' of the book...the real story of the mouse and the lion and the lesson learned and taught. Your eyes are in constant motion...there is so much to see. The mouse is firmly settled in a lion's paw print, while ants march across the bottom of the title page and an old bullfrog watches.
As we begin, the mouse barely escapes the talons of hungry owl...only to end up a few steps later in the lion's paw. Poor thing...is this the end? Nope, the lion takes pity and releases the tiny rodent to live another day. Imagine the story that Mouse tells upon arrival in the burrow. The lion is off on a trek through his kingdom when he becomes trapped in a hunter's net. His roar raises an alarm for the mouse, and then action. Without concern for her own safety, she begins gnawing the rope. Persistence pays off and soon Lion is free, once more. Off she goes with another exciting bedtime story for her brood. Amazing!
Don't forget to remove the paper cover to reveal even more stunning artwork.
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