The Lion and the Mouse

Everyone is familiar with the fable in which it is proved that you do not have to be big and strong to be of value. Jenny Broom retells the story with a few tweaks  – the mouse wants to eat berries out of reach – and without labouring the moral. It is a very simple narrative that is satisfying to tell. Here, it is made an extra pleasure through the illustrations from Nahta Noj. Bright saturated primary colours and a stylised design complement the simplicity of the text. The lion really is mighty, filling the page, the gold and browns of his coat and mane emphasising his kingly status and contrasting dramatically with the little grey mouse. Both are set against the rich green of the jungle or the brilliant blue of the sky. So far so conventional, perhaps. However, the illustrator has gone a step further. The reader meets the mouse on the cover  – and look, there is the lion’s eye peering out at him cleverly designed as a hole in the book. Holes are used simply and effectively throughout whether it is the lion’s eye, the little mouse cowering in front of him, the wings of a butterfly or leaves on a tree. Noj eschews complication relying on a few cleverly cut away pages,  a cut away net and a dramatic silhouette effect at the climax. The whole book has been designed to attract interest, to make the young reader want to touch it – and it succeeds. A stylish, satisfying and enjoyable addition to any collection.