Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

 

Exquisitely crafted: a simple, gracefully honed text, an appealing story, real but unobtrusive values and levels of meaning, and outstanding illustrations and design—all add up to a perfect book. Kirkus

Let's look at the title - Seven Blind Mice.  Seven is the perfect number to use giving the structure the days of the week which is a known pattern and will be enjoyed by very young children. Blind - the mice rely on touch which means the story has the extra delightful dimension that young readers will know more than the story characters. Mice - mice are small and the object of their interest is huge. Given their size it is understandable that they cannot get a full perspective and are only able to feel tiny parts of the whole.

Notice that the clever mouse, though, is the young girl. She is the only one who thinks to explore the whole beast not just a tiny part. This thing is not a pillar, snake, spear, rope, fan, or cliff.

The art in this book is also very appealing with the use of collage and full black pages. I talked in depth about Ed Young in a previous post. I am happy to see this book from 1991 is still available and in paperback.

Seven Blind Mice (1992), Young’s self-illustrated reinterpretation of an Indian fable, won the 1992 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in the picture-book category and was selected as a 1993 Caldecott Honor Book by the American Library Association.

The mice might remind you of the ones created by Leo Lionni. Besty Bird mentions this in her podcast Fuse8n'Kate. 

This book is an innovative reworking of "The Blind Men and the Elephant" - an Indian folktale (see below).

Many years ago, a Kindergarten teacher asked me for some picture books that used days of the week as a story format. I did find some but not this one - which is just perfect. I have now added Seven Blind Mice to my Pinterest.

Here are some other books to link with Seven Blind Mice:

Mina

I Feel a Foot

Little Nelly's Big Book

Yours Sincerely, Giraffe

Here is the original poem:

here were six men of Hindustan,

to learning much inclined,

Who went to see an elephant,

though all of them were blind,

That each by observation

might satisfy his mind.

The first approached the elephant,

and happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,

at once began to bawl,

"This mystery of an elephant

is very like a wall."

The second, feeling of the tusk,

cried, "Ho, what have we here,

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me 'tis mighty clear,

This wonder of an elephant

is very like a spear."

The third approached the elephant,

and happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

thus boldly up and spake,

"I see," quoth he, "the elephant

is very like a snake."

The fourth reached out an eager hand,

and felt above the knee,

"What this most wondrous beast

is like is very plain" said he,

"'Tis clear enough the elephant

is very like a tree."

The fifth who chanced to touch the ear

said, "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

deny the fact who can;

This marvel of an elephant

is very like a fan."

The sixth no sooner had begun

about the beast to grope,

Than seizing on the swinging tail

that fell within his scope;

"I see," said he, "the elephant

is very like a rope."

So six blind men of Hindustan

disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

exceeding stiff and strong;

Though each was partly in the right,

they all were in the wrong!