Superlative pictures tell a story and win the Prize.

books:


	• Once a Mouse... Aladdin, 1989 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

An Ancient Indian Treasure

"A rajah of ancient India is said to have had such popular animal fables collected as a 'mirror for princes' to instruct his errant sons." This particular fable is about a mouse who is helped by a forest hermit with magic powers. The Indian hermit magically transforms the mouse into a cat, a dog, and finally a tiger; however, when the tiger gets too proud and forgets its origins, the hermit turns it back into a mouse.

I love this book because the story teaches many lessons and does not have just one definitive moral. The story could serve as a springboard for discussing several topics with young children: the importance of knowing where you came from, the importance of humility, the Hindu concepts of reincarnation and karma, Darwin's theory of evolution, and even which animals make good pets and which ones don't.

The award-winning illustrations are also unique and action-packed, and they perfectly complement the text.

Children ages 2 and up will enjoy having this story read to them, and children ages 4-8 will probably be able to read the simple text on their own. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages! It's an ancient Indian treasure.

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Here I come to save the day

Described in its day as attaining, "a fluidity rare in the medium", this illustrated book of woodcuts tells a simple fable that has remained beloved for decades. Claiming to be a tale told from ancient India, the story follows a man, a mouse, and the downfall of pride. A wise hermit lives alone in the forest when he happens to spy a mouse about to be eaten. Fearful for the little creature, the man changes his new friend into a cat. When a dog threatens his cat, he turns the mouse into a dog, and then (after a similar situation) into a tiger. Now a fine feline of a beast, the former mouse lords his newfound state over the other animals of the forest. After planning the death of his benefactor, the man changes the tiger into a mouse again and everything goes back to as it was (with the mouse, I suspect, a little wiser).

The woodcuts are fine indeed. Delicate little illustrations imbued with life and verve. From snarling dogs to transformed mice the images stand for themselves. I hadn't been aware of the author/illustrator's work before reading her winning, "Stone Soup". After comparing the two, I have to say they're definitely of equal interest. It's nice to see a book giving a clear sighted look at a fable from another country (in this case, India) without any stereotypes or racism. All in all, it's a nice little book with a strong moral core.

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once a mouse

This book is about a hermit who helps a little mouse. It is very detailed in both pictures and writing.I reccommend this book for younger readers who enjoy reading and looking a detailed pictures.It also won the 1962 caldecott award of the year.

Superlative pictures tell a story and win the Prize.

"Once A Mouse" is a fable from India adapted by Marcia Brown who won the Caldecott medal in 1962 for the marvelous woodcuts in this book. As the title page states, it is "a fable cut in wood."

The artistry of woodcuts has always intrigued me and Marcia Brown is totally successful in translating animal emotions, whether scared or scary, bemused or 'lording it' over all. See the dog's wonderful snarling nose and the hermit whose unsurprised, philosophical face contrasts with the haughty tiger who "peacocked about the forest."

The reader is left, like the hermit, to meditate "on big and little" . . . and about how humans, like tigers, can get too big for their britches. Teachers can guide lively discussions even among the youngest - - who will learn to say "chided" - - a gentle word that should be on the world's list of 'protected species'. Reviewer mcHaiku cheers for the works Marcia Brown has shared which are so satisfactory at all levels.

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once a mouse

I thought that this was a good book beacause it really is good for little kids. It is a easy book to read with very detailed pictures describing what is happening. If you are looking for a good book to read to a little kid this would be a good one. I would reccomend this book to people of all ages.

reviews: page 1, 2

A hermit knows the magic to change a small mouse into a cat, a dog, and a majestic tiger -- and Marcia Brown's magical woodcuts bring this Indian fable to life with the mastery that won her her second Caldecott Medal.

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