This richly illustrated picturebook tells the fable of the Lion and the Mouse completely without dialogue, and without any text other than the occasional sound effect. The story is set on the modern-day African savannah, and the white poachers who trap the lion are the only humans in sight. That’s not to say that the landscape is empty. It’s teeming with wildlife, so expressively rendered that text is completely unnecessary. Even without the occasional sound effects, you can almost hear the mouse scurry across the page, and the lion roaring in his net. The illustrations are gorgeous, hyper-realistic watercolors. Jerry Pinkney was famous for getting an incredible amount of detail into the medium, and this is, arguably, his masterwork. I recommend this book for anyone who appreciates a story about kindness and loves to look at beautiful art. – Krishni Burns