Synopses & Reviews
A hip and lively retelling of Aesop's The Lion and the Mouse, written by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and her son Slade Morrison.
The Lion or the Mouse?, the second in a series of six illustrated books retelling Aesop's fables, is a deft and richly witty sendup of a culture that sucks up to anyone who has power. The cocky lion, the self-proclaimed "baddest in the land," believes himself invincible until he gets a thorn stuck in his paw. When only a weak little mouse can help him, the lion must indulge the mouse's ridiculous pride and lust for power. The mouse, of course, believes that bigger paws, a longer mane, and a wide, red tongue will give him all the prestige he needs to be king of the animals. Too bad his roar is still a squeak. Pascal Lemaitre's ingenious illustrations add a wry sophistication to the Morrisons' tales already vibrant and defiantly ambiguous.
"In our versions," says Toni Morrison, "the original stories are opened up and their moralistic endlings re-imagined: The victim might not lose; the timid gets a chance to become strong; the fool can gain insight; the powerful may lose their grip. Anything Can Happen."
Synopsis
In this charmingly subversive reinterpretation of a classic tale, the Morrisons and Pascal Lemaitre take a hilarious look at bullying.
The cocky lion, the self-proclaimed "baddest in the land," believes himself invincible until he gets a thorn stuck in his paw. Only a weak little mouse can help him, but then the lion must indulge the mouse's ridiculous pride and appetite for power.
We, the creators of Who's Got Game?, were inspired by the wonder of Aesop's Fables -- their vitality, their endless demand for new interpretations. In our versions the original stories are opened and their moralistic endings reimagined: the victim might not lose; the timid gets a chance to become strong; the foool can gain insight; the powerful may lose their grip. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. More than a play on these beloved fables, Who's Got Game? is AESOP LIVE!
ALL AGES
About the Author
Toni Morrison, who is best known for her fiction, teaches at Princeton University. Her novels include
Song of Solomon (1977),
Beloved (1987),
Jazz (1992),
Paradise (1998) and
Love (2003).
Slade Morrison has coauthored two previous books with Toni Morrison. A painter by profession, he has a home and studio in Rockland County, New York.
Pascal Lemaitre has been a freelance illustrator since 1990. He illustrated Supercat, and worked with the Morrisons on a children's book, The Book Of Mean People.