Once a Mouse (8)

Book cover.

Brown, M. (1961). Once a mouse. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The Caldecott Medal winning book Once a Mouse as told by Marcia Brown recalls the Indian fable of a hermit who uses magic to help a mouse defend itself against predators. The hermit helps the mouse by transforming him into the same animals against which he must defend himself, only the mouse becomes too proud and is ultimately transformed back into the lowly state of a mouse.

The doublespread picture book contains remarkable woodcut illustrations in warm colors of yellow, brown, and orange. Such a medium helps to convey the classic nature of the fable. Adding to the illustrations is the use of enjambment, or carrying one line of text to the next page, in order to create a sense of suspense (For example: "A cat came to the hut with whiskers...straight and tail held high.") as well as add to the repetitive plot of the mouse's image being continually transformed as more and more predators come his way (For instance: "...he quickly changed him into a stout cat," and "changed the cat into a big dog.").

The book contains woodcut illustrations in warm colors.