Leo Lionni Quotes

“A fantasy picture book, about a city mouse who moves out to the country. To his surprise, the country mice require him to complete a field test to live among ...”

“Overnight, city mouse Timothy becomes a little man. And when he runs away to the country, the other mice are not so sure he’s really one of them...”

“The artist’s trademark cut paper collages colorfully and succinctly illustrate Timothy’s quest.”

“It’s explained that he’ll have to take some tests if he wants a ‘field mouse license’: berry-eating, running, and tree-climbing. ”

″ He fails the first two, heroically saves Spinny when a cat interrupts the third, and is awarded an Honorary License.”

“This slight tale’s opening, in particular, may confuse little ones--why does Timothy change, and exactly who or what does he become?”

“A band of field mice, reassured by the hero’s tail, dub him Mr. McMouse and offer membership in their group--if he can pass a battery of tests and earn a field mouse license.”

″ He fails the first two, heroically saves Spinny when a cat interrupts the third, and is awarded an Honorary License.”

“Life as a happy handsome city mouse ends abruptly for Timothy when he looks into the mirror one morning and sees `a strange creature dressed in black staring at him.″

“His brown ears and furry gray body have been replaced by a human-like form sporting a man’s hat and coat; only a long tail links him to his original incarnation.”

“Fleeing the city in panic, Timothy seeks refuge in a typically quixotic, Lionni-esque countryside adorned with marbleized trees and paisley boulders. ”

″‘Let’s go and swim and play and SEE things!’ he said happily. ‘We can’t,’ said the little red fish. ‘The big fish will eat us all.‘”

“And so they swam in the cool morning water and in the midday sun and chased the big fish away.”

“We are going to swim all together like the biggest fish in the sea!”

“They were all red. Only one of them was as black as a mussel shell. He swam faster than his brothers and sisters. His name was Swimmy.”

“In one gulp he swallowed all the little red fish. Only Swimmy escaped.”

“He swam away in the deep wet world. He was scared, lonely and very sad.”

“Then, hidden in the dark shade of rocks and weeds, he saw a school of little fish, just like his own.”

“He taught them to swim together, each in his own place.”