Chanticleer and the Fox - Barbara Cooney (1958 - First Ed.)

ISBN 10 : 06900 4318X
1982 Ed. - Crowell

           Caldecott Winner - 1959

        Why would a fox praise the song of a rooster? Well, anyone can see the fox is trying to flatter the rooster. But, Chanticleer, the proud, boasting rooster believes the fox and puts himself in trouble.

Don't fall flat for flattery
          
         Chanticleer is a proud rooster, living in the yard of a poor widow, with his seven hens. One night, he has a nightmare about a beast. But, with the advice of his favorite hen(!) Madam Partlet, he neglects the dream. The same day, he meets a fox in the yard, who praises him for his singing. The fox also gives a tip to Chanticleer, to sing with his eyes closed, stretching his long neck and standing on tip-toes.

Seven Blind Mice - Ed Young (1992)

                                Caldecott Honor-1993

ISBN 10 : 03992 22618

         
         Opinions differ from person to person. But how could seven blind mice decipher the same object as various things? Here is an Indian fable that establishes that incomplete knowledge could lead to false ideas.

A pillar + A snake + A spear + A cliff + A fan + A rope = ?

            Seven blind mice got curious about the new strange thing near their pond. Each day, each mouse takes a turn and examine the new thing. But their opinion differs, since they examined the different parts of that new big thing. One says that it's a pillar, one says that it's a snake, other a spear and so on. 

Once a Mouse - Marcia Brown (1961)

        Caldecott Winner - 1962

      
         When self-confidence crosses the line and becomes boasting, there is always a lesson to be learnt. Based on an ancient Indian fable, this story is about a 'small' mouse becoming a 'big' powerful tiger and starts boasting about his powers.


Small to Big

           A hermit is thinking about 'big and little' (Is it about the physical sizes or thoughts? Who knows what is inside a hermit's mind?). At that time, he sees a mouse, who is being preyed upon by a crow. To save the mouse, he transforms it into a cat, with his magical powers. Again when the cat is about to be snatched by a dog, he changes it into a bigger dog. This series repeats until he finally makes the mouse, a tiger.