The Lion and the Mouse by: Jerry Pinkney (traditional/folk)

This rendition of the traditional Aesop's fable is set in the heart of the Serengeti forest. The fable is the well-known story of a mighty lion and a meek mouse. However, obviously as the story progresses, the lion and mouse realize they need each other for survival. The lion is not too mighty to benefit from those smaller, and similarly, the mouse is not too meek to make a big difference.

This particular alternative to Aesop's fable is one that it is truly unique because it is almost entirely wordless. The story progresses through the author's vibrant illustrations. I would use this book as a way for students to predict the main ideas or events in a story. Just as when students go through a "book walk", students can use the pictures to brainstorm and predict the future events in the book. This will help children learn to use all features of the book to aid in comprehension, instead of relying only on the text to tell the story.