The Lion & The Mouse:  J. Pinkney

It is obvious why Pinkney won the 2009 Caldecott Medal for this book. The descriptive and action-packed illustrations narrate the tale themselves, distinguishing this work as a wordless picture book. The only words found within the pages act as sounds in the story. A "WHO, Who, Whoooo" from a predator comes from the trees, while a "Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak..." circles the nest  of ten infant field mice.  Pinkney purposefully places each "sound" with the purpose of blending noise into his illustration while making his story come alive for the reader. For example, the "Putt-, putt-, putt-" of the exhaust pipe from the safari vehicle is angled and strategically placed on the dirt road imitating tire treads. Each "putt-" becomes smaller as it "leaves" the vehicle pipe in the distance. On the pages without onomatopoeia, the reader can continue to "hear" movement  and noise through Pinkney's gift of artistry.  The soft yawn of a lion, the swish of a tail, or the crunch of a leaf on the ground can be "heard" without the need of words. 

This book would be an excellent mentor text for a lesson on onomatopoeia for all ages and grade levels. Students will become calm and engrossed with the content even though they are being "shown to" rather than "read to." The plot is sentimental and heartfelt while encouraging the message that kindness can come from beings of ALL shapes, sizes and species. Even stereotypical "enemies" can help each other when the going gets tough.  Students of all reading levels can appreciate and benefit from this anything but ordinary picture book.