The Lion’s Looking at You
*UPDATE* I should have made this clear, but the modifications you see below are just for how the book is presented in the flier, not for the actual book.
In the grand tradition of 100 Scope Notes “hey, look at this” posts of questionable worth, I bring you a curiosity I noticed today. While cruising through the latest Scholastic book club fliers at my school, I came across Jerry Pinkney’s The Lion & the Mouse. I proceeded to double take:
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Notice anything different here? Possibly some eyes pointed straight at you? Perhaps some type where there previously was none? A quick check of the original to confirm:
Yes, these changes were made. I’m assuming the title was added for clarification purposes, but I find the eyes interesting. Is a book more likely to sell if the cover figure is looking right at you? Huh.
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About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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No, no, no! How could they!
I found the original cover so delicious, so intriguing and incredibly appealing. It DEMANDS closer inspection. The absence of a title piques interest as does the sideways glance of King Lion.
I try to teach my students to examine all parts of a book and that a story might start on the covers or end pages. My students pored over this one. They left page reluctantly. Then turned back to the beginning when they got to the end.
I’m going to have to run out and find some extra copies of the original if this new one is a permanent replacement. The title on the cover dumbs the book down. What!? We couldn’t figure that out for ourselves once we opened the book to look where the lion was looking? Kids were delighted to get the joke! “Oh! I get it! The Lion and the Mouse! Cool!”
Humpf.
Also, as beautiful as this lion is, having him stare out from the cover, makes me feel a bit like prey.
Thanks for sharing it. Can’t wait to ask my students what they think!
brenda
Brenda, I just added an update to the post. These changes are just for how the book appears in the flier, not for the actual book. Sorry I didn’t make that clear in the first place.
Oops, should have proofread. Left EACH page reluctantly.
bk
Not to be picky but I also note that that the statement “This is Jerry Pinkney’s 6th Caldecott Award” would more correctly be stated, …”6th Caldecott honor” – then that honking fine medal with the award would mean even more ;->
Too true. All the rest were honors; this is his first medal. That should be more clear.
I agree with Brenda – how could they? The look in the lion’s eyes is one of the things I love most about my copy of the book. It’s a look that tells a story, and begs us to look at the back cover – at the mouse who looks back at the lion. Blah.
That’s almost…creepy. It reminds me of the Lion in The Wiz, when he was still trapped in plaster, and only his eyes moved…
Yeah. Definitely creepy.