The Lion and the Mouse



Author:  Jerry Pinkney

Illustrator:  Jerry Pinkney

Award:   Caldecott Medal

Genre:   Fiction

Grades:   Kindergarten/First

Quick Summary: Jerry Pinkney's book is an excellent piece of literature geared towards the lower primary grade levels. This book has fabulous illustrations, which is extremely important since this book has no text. Pinkney's wordless adaptations of the distinct relationship between two very different animals shows the importance of healthy relationships and helping one another. A ferocious lion comes to the rescue to a tiny mouse whom he planned to eat, while the tiny mouse saves the lion from being captured from a trap. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6534132-the-lion-and-the-mouse).

Theme:  This book can show little elementary schoolers the importancew of building healthy relationships in the classroom, offering a helping hand, and the importance of using more than reading words to discover the meaning in a book.

Pre-Reading Activities:  Before reading this book, I would have students write down each student's name on a piece of paper in the classroom. Each student in the classroom will have to write only one positive thing about each individual person in the classroom. This activity connects to the overall meaning being told in the story.

Post-Reading Activities: After reading the book, students will have to write their own stories in which two very different animals help each other in some way. This activity will help my students build creativity using their imaginations while connectiong the meaning of the Read-A-Loud group text to their own work.

Assessment:  Students will be able to show and describe their individual literature pieces to the class.