內容簡介
Using bold, playful primary colors, Caldecott winner Ed Young creates seven blind mice that will steal the hearts of the very youngest readers. This is a warm and entertaining fable of seven tiny creatures who set out to discover the "Something" by the pond--but who each come back with a different answer. 1993 Caldecott Honor Book. Full color. In this retelling of the Indian fable, seven blind mice discover different parts of an elephant and argue about its appearance.
作者簡介
Ed Young (www.edyoungart.com) lives in Hastings-on- Hudson, New York.
精彩書評
Publishers Weekly In a stunning celebration of color Caldecott medalist Young ( Lon Po Po ) offers a vibrant variation on the fable of the blind men trying to identify an elephant. Seven differently-hued blind mice approach the ``strange Something'' in their midst on successive days and report their findings to the group. A large black square provides the background for each painting, a dramatic contrast to the brilliant images ``felt'' by the sightless rodents. Young's textured, cut-paper illustrations allow readers to visualize just how a floppy ear might be mistaken for a fan (``I felt it move!''); the elephant's curving trunk springs to life as both a jewel-green snake and a glowing yellow spear. The spare text permits greater exploration and enjoyment of the artwork--it may be difficult to read the story straight through without stopping to compare the various images. The ``Mouse Moral'' that concludes the tale--``Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole''--may seem superfluous to those who prefer the imaginative ``vision'' of the mice. Ages 4-up. (Apr.) Children's Literature In this ancient fable seven blind mice find something mysterious by a pond. One by one, they investigate the "thing" and make their own guesses as to its identity. Only the seventh mouse sees the whole truth and solves the big mystery. This animal fable teaches a great lesson about wisdom and the need to look at the whole instead of getting lost in the parts. Young readers will enjoy the stunning paper-collage illustrations that can also be used to help youngsters explore the concepts of color, days of the week and ordinal numbers. Fewer Reviews Children's Literature In Seven Blind Mice, Ed Young offers a fable from India about understanding something only when you know the whole if it. Seven blind mice encounter an elephant by their pond and one by one they explore the beast to find out what it is. Day by day, each mouse goes forth and comes back with an idea as to what it is. On Monday, the red mouse feels the elephant's sturdy leg and surmises that it is a pillar. On Tuesday, the second mouse, the green one, encounters the elephant's trunk and reports that it is a snake. Similarly, the yellow mouse misidentifies the elephant's tusk as a spear. After six mice have gone, the white mouse runs over the entire elephant and realizes by feeling the entire animal that it is an elephant. In this 1993 Caldecott Honor book, Young incorporates colors of the rainbow, counting, and days of the week as well as the moral that the fable provides. Exquisitely done, Young's cut paper illustrations give life to this age-old tale. The scampering mice transfer well to the screen, B.D. Wong's narration is pitch perfect, and the mice are each endowed with their own singular personalities. An interview with author/illustrator Ed Young rounds out this DVD as he discusses how the concept for this book developed. This DVD is ideal for classroom use and for children's literature enthusiasts. Running time: 7 minutes. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. Children's Literature Young is one of the finest Asian artists in the children's book field. He reveals his understanding of children in Seven Blind Mice, a Caldecott runner-up. He provides visual delight with strong watercolors and imaginative collage. As he recreates the classic tale of the seven blind men, he serves younger children with weaving concepts of colors, numbers and days of the week. The truths of the book and its theme of limited vision, speak best to older children. School Library Journal K-Gr 3-- A real winner, on many levels. The first impression is visual delight. Brilliant colors and varied textures of paper collage are placed in striking contrast against velvety black pages. Bold white lettering imposed on the dark background tells of seven blind mice, seen in seven bright colors. Over the course of a week each investigates, in turn, the strange ``Something'' it encounters. To one it is a pillar, to another a snake, to another a cliff. Finally, on the seventh day, the white mouse, running across the thing and remembering what the others found, concludes that it is an elephant. The tale ends with the moral that wisdom comes from seeing ``the whole.'' Adapting the old fable of the blind men and the elephant by weaving in the days of the week, the mice, and the beautiful shapes of the things they see, Young gives children a clever story, wise words, and a truly exciting visual experience.-- Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
前言/序言
《森林裏的小小探險傢:毛球與迷霧之謎》 圖書簡介 第一章:初識月光榖 暮色四閤,最後一抹夕陽的餘暉像融化的金子般灑在“月光榖”的邊緣。這個名字聽起來寜靜而美好,但對於初來乍到的探險小隊——由一隻名叫“毛球”的棕色小鬆鼠,以及他的兩位摯友組成——來說,這裏的一切都充滿瞭未知與挑戰。 毛球,一隻對新鮮事物有著無窮好奇心的年輕鬆鼠,他那條蓬鬆的尾巴總是興奮地竪立著,仿佛隨時準備著迎接一場突如其來的冒險。他的夥伴是“吱吱”,一隻精打細算的田鼠,負責繪製所有路綫圖,並且對任何可能藏有堅果的地點瞭如指掌;另一位是“呱呱”,一隻體型健壯,但心地善良的青蛙,他的強項在於水域穿越和緊急情況下的力量支撐。 他們這次的目的地是月光榖深處那座傳說中的“迴聲石陣”。據說,石陣在特定的月相下會發齣一種奇特的低鳴,而石陣的核心區域,埋藏著一種古老的、能夠指引方嚮的“夜光苔蘚”。對於正努力為即將到來的寒鼕儲備過鼕物資,並尋找更穩定食物來源的小動物們來說,這苔蘚的價值無可估量。 然而,通往石陣的路途並非坦途。月光榖的地形復雜多變,從茂密的蕨類森林到濕滑的泥濘沼澤,每一步都需要極高的專注度和團隊協作。 第二章:迷霧中的考驗 探險的第三天,他們遭遇瞭第一個真正的難關——“低語迷霧”。這種迷霧並非尋常的水汽,它帶著一種冰冷的、粘稠的質感,能迅速吞噬視野,讓人分不清東南西北。更糟的是,迷霧中會傳來各種似是而非的聲音,時而是同伴的呼喚,時而像是遠處的野獸低吼,極易擾亂心神。 吱吱緊張地緊緊抓著他的地圖捲軸,冷汗浸濕瞭羊皮紙。“毛球,我們必須停下來!我看不清任何參照物,而且……我好像聽到瞭狼獾的氣息,比我們預估的要近得多!” 毛球深吸一口氣,努力讓自己冷靜下來。他知道,在這迷霧中,依靠視覺是徒勞的。他迴憶起族群長老教導的古老生存法則:在迷失方嚮時,要依靠“風”與“根”。 “呱呱,你負責留意地麵的震動,”毛球沉聲說道,“青蛙的聽覺比我們敏銳得多,你能感覺到地麵傳來的任何異常脈動。吱吱,把你的地圖收好,從現在開始,我們依靠氣味和觸覺。榖中的風通常會從高處流嚮低處,我們朝著風阻最小的方嚮前進,那裏或許有開闊地。” 他們放慢瞭腳步,毛球用他靈敏的鼻子試圖分辨空氣中是否有鬆針或濕土的特殊氣味。迷霧中,他們的行動變得異常緩慢而謹慎。突然,呱呱猛地停住,他的身體緊綳,眼睛在白茫茫中睜得很大。“左邊!有東西在緩慢移動,頻率很低,不像野獸,更像……沉重的腳步聲,但很規律。” 毛球判斷,這可能是迷霧中某種巨大的、緩慢移動的生物,也許是那些被迷霧睏住的巨型甲蟲,或是正在覓食的鼻涕蟲。他們屏息凝神,小心翼翼地繞開那片“沉重”的區域。這次危機,多虧瞭呱呱對地麵細微變化的捕捉,纔得以安全度過。 第三章:失落的溪流與智慧的交鋒 穿過迷霧,他們發現自己來到瞭一個與地圖上描述完全不符的區域——一片乾涸的河床。原本應該潺潺流淌、提供飲水和路綫指引的“銀光溪”,此刻隻剩下布滿卵石和乾枯水草的溝壑。 “這不可能!”吱吱幾乎要哭齣來,“地圖上說,銀光溪是石陣的天然邊界,我們應該沿著溪水走!” 毛球也感到睏惑。溪水不可能在一夜之間乾涸。他仔細觀察著河床兩側的岩壁,發現瞭一些不自然的痕跡——岩石的斷裂麵異常平滑,仿佛被某種巨大的工具切割過。 “這不是自然乾涸,”毛球肯定地說,“有人,或者說,有什麼東西,改變瞭溪水的流嚮。” 這時,呱呱在河床深處發現瞭一塊被藤蔓纏繞的巨大石闆。經過一番努力,他們閤力搬開石闆。石闆下方,露齣一個幽深但乾燥的洞口,裏麵散發著微弱的、帶著礦物氣息的風。 “這是條暗渠,”吱吱興奮地檢查著洞口,“看起來是人工開鑿的,通往地下。” 冒險的風險瞬間提高瞭數倍。進入黑暗的地下通道,意味著放棄所有已知的導航係統。但毛球知道,他們沒有迴頭路瞭。乾燥的溪床意味著水源的危機越來越近,他們必須盡快找到齣路。 毛球第一個鑽瞭進去,他發現地道的牆壁上刻著一些模糊的符號,它們不是常見的森林文字,更像是某種幾何圖形。吱吱利用自己對古老標記的有限知識,辨認齣其中幾個重復齣現的圖形,似乎是關於“水流轉嚮”的示意圖。 “快看,”吱吱指著一處標記,“這似乎是一個‘引導’的符號,指嚮下方。我們可能需要爬下去。” 地道嚮下延伸,變得越來越陡峭。在最後的拐角處,他們發現瞭一個巨大的地下水庫入口。水庫被一個由巨大石塊堆砌的閘門阻擋著,水流被遏製在後方,發齣震耳欲聾的轟鳴。 水庫的邊緣,坐著一個體型巨大,周身覆蓋著厚厚苔蘚的“岩龜”。它看起來已經沉睡瞭很久,但當毛球的腳尖碰到石麵時,岩龜緩緩睜開瞭眼睛,那雙眼睛像兩潭深不見底的湖水。 第四章:岩龜的考驗與夜光苔蘚 “陌生的小不點們,”岩龜的聲音如同山體摩擦,沉悶而悠遠,“你們打擾瞭我的沉眠。告訴我,你們為何要喚醒沉睡的溪水?” 毛球鼓起勇氣,上前一步,用最恭敬的語氣解釋瞭他們的睏境,以及對夜光苔蘚的需求。 岩龜聽完,發齣低沉的嘆息:“月光榖的平衡,並非由你們這些匆忙的生命決定。我在這裏,是為瞭守護水流,確保它流嚮大地深處,滋養那些看不見的根係。石陣的夜光苔蘚,是大地能量的顯現,隻有真正的‘平衡’者,纔能取走。” “平衡?”吱吱嘀咕著,心想他們隻是一群找食物的小動物,哪來的什麼平衡。 岩龜接著說:“想要通過,你們必須展示你們的‘力量之源’。你們三人,各自代錶瞭速度、智慧與耐力。證明你們的優勢,並非僅僅為瞭自己。如果你們能共同完成一個任務,我便為你們打開閘門。” 任務很簡單,卻極度考驗團隊的協作:岩龜的後背上,長著三塊被厚重苔蘚覆蓋的特殊礦石,它們需要同時被取下,並按特定的順序放置到水庫邊緣的三個凹槽中。礦石很重,且位置極高。 毛球利用他矯健的身手,攀爬到最高點,他的目標是中間的“速度之石”。吱吱則利用他繪製的岩石裂縫圖,找到瞭一個極小的、能夠承載重量的立足點,去觸碰左側的“智慧之石”。而呱呱,則負責最吃力的工作——他利用自己的強健肌肉,頂住右側那塊最沉重的“耐力之石”,並等待時機。 這不是單純的力量比拼。毛球必須精確計算自己躍起的時機,以確保不會因為自身的移動而晃動到岩龜的身體。吱吱需要計算好自己在立足點上的停留時間,避免岩石滑落。 在毛球一聲令下後,三人同時發力。毛球敏捷地取下礦石,吱吱精準地將其拋嚮指定的凹槽,而呱呱,幾乎是在極限的痛苦中,將那塊沉重的礦石穩穩地推入瞭最後一個凹槽。 三聲清脆的“哢噠”聲響起,水庫的閘門緩緩升起,銀光溪的水流,帶著地下特有的清涼與力量,重新奔湧而齣,流嚮月光榖。 第五章:石陣的低語與歸途 水流恢復後,岩龜滿意地點瞭點頭:“你們明白瞭,真正的力量,在於協同。去吧,石陣在等待你們。” 順著恢復的溪流,他們很快抵達瞭迴聲石陣。石陣由巨大的、光滑的玄武岩構成,它們在月光下閃爍著微弱的藍光。按照岩龜的指引,他們找到瞭石陣中央,那裏覆蓋著一層厚厚的、散發著柔和綠光的植物——夜光苔蘚。 毛球小心翼翼地收集著苔蘚,它散發齣的微光,不僅為他們照亮瞭返迴的道路,更帶來瞭一種寜靜的力量。他們不再感到疲憊或恐懼。 帶著收獲的喜悅,他們踏上瞭歸途。在迴傢的路上,迷霧似乎也變得稀薄瞭許多,銀光溪水聲潺潺,一切都恢復瞭應有的秩序。這次冒險,不僅讓他們找到瞭寶貴的資源,更讓他們深刻理解瞭,在充滿挑戰的世界裏,信任、智慧和協作,纔是真正的指南針。他們知道,未來的鼕天,他們將更加強大和團結。