The Story of Jumping Mouse: A Native American Legend

The Native American legend that tells the story of the Eagle came to be. Detailed pencil drawings have won this book a Caldecott honor.

Classroom connections: This story could be used as an example of Native American tales and creation myths.

Is a story about a mouse, who after hearing the tales about a far off land decides he wants to see it. He starts his journey and encounters many animals on the way including a magic frog, who gives him the name Jumping Mouse. This name is magical it gives him legs that enable him to travel long

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distances. On his journey to the far off land he runs into a bison and a wolf. The bison has been blinded by a poisoned pond. Jumping Mouse names him Eyes-Of-a-Mouse, in giving him this magical name he gives him his own sight. The bison is grateful to Jumping Mouse and guides him to the mountains. When Jumping Mouse reaches the mountains he encounters a wolf, who has lost his ability to smell. Jumping Mouse names him Nose-of-a-Mouse and gives him his ability to smell. The wolf is grateful and guides him to the far of land. When Jumping Mouse reaches the far off land he is not saddened by his inability to see or smell because he believes that he will find a way. He never lost hope or compassion for others and for this the magic frog gives him another gift. Magic frog changes him into an eagle, so that he can always see and smell the far off land.
This story is one of inspiration, hope, compassion, and courage. It showed that no matter what size the creature is they still have an effect on the environment and the animals around them. Even the smallest creature can have the biggest heart. This book can be used in libraries to teach compassion for others and how selfless acts can lead to personal triumphs and experiences. It could be used in a story time that leads into a discussion of helping others and then possibly a team work activity.

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This Caldecott and ALA Notable Book selection is a retelling of a Native American legend, the story of a mouse who leaves his home to travel to a “far off land” and, through acts of selflessness, courage and determination, is turned into an eagle. The “old ones” who tell Jumping Mouse of

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the legendary far off place call to mind tribal elders and provide a sense of Native Americans’ tradition of oral storytelling and valuing of legend. A number of images and elements common in Native American folklore can be found in Jumping Mouse, including the presence of magical elements and animal characters such as a bison, fox and eagle. Detailed pencil drawings create a backdrop of desert and plains landscapes, plant life and shadowy sky.

Librarians could use this book in a number of ways. The illustrations and action in the story would lend themselves well to a story hour or other group reading activity. The tale could be used to introduce Native American folklore broadly or to focus on Plains Indian legends more specifically; this could be examined alone or in comparison to other cultural or spiritual traditions. Jumping Mouse’s journey could also help to guide a discussion about character, friendship and the importance of determination in working toward goals or dreams. As a Caldecott honoree, it is also likely to count among “must-haves” for juvenile collections.

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This Caldecott Honor Book relates the tale of a young mouse yearning to travel to a far-off land. He is nervous about undertaking such a journey, but shortly after setting out meets a magic frog who endows him with strong legs and re-names him Jumping Mouse. Along the way he meets other animals,

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including a bison and a wolf who are gravely ill. Remembering what the magic frog did for him, he donates to them his sense of sight and smell, respectively. To show their gratitude, these kind animals help guide him to the far-off land. Once there, he meets Magic Frog again, who commends him for being selfless and never giving up hope on his journey. As a reward, she changes him into an eagle, and allows him to live in the far-off land for the rest of his days.
This story would be a wonderful addition to any library collection. It can be used to teach children about hope, compassion, selflessness, and perseverance. In addition, it can be used as part of an introduction to Native American folklore, as a good example of elements common to the genre (animals, magic, nature).

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This book is about a mouse who wants to reach a far off land. He is small, and the trip will take him a very long time. He meets a magic frog who calls him "Jumping Mouse". Then, he has the power to jump high. During his trip he meets some animals who are struggling. He helps them, and by doind

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this he loses his sight, his smell, and other things. But, he soon reaches the far off land, and the frog returns. Because of his kindness, the frog turns him into an eagle.
I like this book because it is a cute story about animals, which kept my children's attention. But, I like the fact that it teaches kindness. They mouse didn't know that the frog would turn him into an eagle. He just helped the strangers because they needed help. He wise kind out of the goodness of his heart.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students about kindness. I would ask them houw they could help people, and why they thought the jumping mouse helped the animals he passed. I would ask them what they would have done.

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I love this book and read it whenever I'm feeling down on myself. It's not just a "great kids' book" or a nice "Native American" story. This is a story about letting go of what people tell you you cannot do and pushing forward always. It's about following your heart, spirit, soul - whatever you

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want to call it, despite what tries to get in the way. It's about sacrificing for the good of all living things. And, at the end, it's really about total transformation. Jumping Mouse is on a quest to find "the mountain," but instead discovers who he is truly meant to be. I LOVE this book!

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Steptoe, J. (1984). The Story of Jumping Mouse. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

The Story of Jumping Mouse is John Steptoe's retelling of a classic Native American tale. In this tale a small mouse wants to travel to the "far-off land" that he has heard about from the old ones. He decides to

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travel alone even though he knows it will be a dangerous journey. On his way he meets Magic Frog who renames him Jumping Mouse and gives him the ability to jump very high. Throughout the rest of his journey he meets other animals who are in need of help and Jumping Mouse very selflessly helps each one until he has almost nothing left. This tale teaches that you can accomplish great things if you don't give up hope and also unselfish deeds can lead to great rewards. Steptoe also does the illustrations for the book. He uses what appears to be black colored pencils. I thought the story could have used a little color in the illustrations, but they are still effective and enjoyable to look at while reading.

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The Story of Jumping Mouse is a Native American legend retold and illustrated by John Steptoe. This book is a Caldecott Honor Book as well as an ALA Notable Book. The detailed pencil drawings are of animal characters and environments in which they live. The amazing detail will keep even the

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youngest of readers enthralled, from the spider’s web, to the insects on flowers, to each hair carefully shaded on the mouse’s body.
The grayscale drawings are not lacking because they aren’t in color; even the dew on the leaves glistens! A little mouse journeys to the far-off land he hears the old mice talk about. His hope sustains him on his journey, along with some magical jumping powers a frog gives him at the beginning of his journey. The magical frog warns Jumping Mouse that he will face hardships, but if he keeps his hope alive, he will eventually reach his destination. Along the way, Jumping Mouse unselfishly gives up his sight to a blind bison and his sense of smell to a wolf, and it appears although he has reached his paradise destination, he won’t be able to enjoy it because of what he has lost. All is not lost, though, because the magic frog shows up and rewards Jumping Mouse with a new form, that of an eagle. This is a lesson in perseverance and having hope, even when hard times ensue.

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This is a story of a mouse who dreams of going to a far off land. He starts on his way and he meets a frog named Magic Frog who helps him. He then meets different animals along the way. Some need help one needs eye sight, another needs to smell. Unselfishly, he gives his abilty to other. In the end

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he finds the place but doesn't know if he'll be able to mike it wothout his abilty to see or smell. Then magic frog appears ans says because he was unselfish he will always live abd was turned into an eagle. This was a very cute book that tied in NAtive American culture that children would enjoy. This is a great book that could be used during Native Ameircan culture week or month.

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The Story of Jumping Mouse provide an extremely inspirational tale of a mouse who is on a quest. Through his travels, the mouse is tested time and time again and only loses hope momentarily. The Magic Frog help's guide the mouse, but he does not simply give the mouse everything, he makes the mouse

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work for his goals. Without hard work and compassion, it is extremely hard to succeed. The mouse learns to take action but also rely on people when the time is right.

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Great story but not for read aloud, too long. How jumping mouse gives away all his senses to other animals who need them, he is rewarded by being turned into an eagle.

The story of the jumping mouse is a Native Indian tale, that talks about this courageous and caring mouse who wanted to travel to another land. During his journey he was given the name Jumping mouse by the magic frog. Throughout the jumping mouse journey he met animals that needed help to survive.

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The jumping mouse give the animals what they needed to survive. When the jumping mouse reached the end of his journey, the magic frog turned in him into a beautiful bold eagle. This book would be great for 2nd grades, I would use this book as one of the choices students can chose during their book clubs.

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This Native American legend is retold and illustrated by John Steptoe. A mouse with great hopes sets off for the far-off land that he has heard so much about. On the way, he is helped by Magic Frog who names him Jumping Mouse, which gives him strong hind legs. He now advances more quickly, and

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encounters a blind bison to whom he gives his sight. Then, he encounters a wolf with no more sense of smell, and Jumping Mouse gives him his sense of smell. When he finally reaches the far-off land with the help of the healed bison and wolf, Jumping Mouse cannot see it or smell it. However, Magic Frog is not far, and rewards Jumping Mouse with the greatest gift of all: turning him into an eagle.

Through this sweet story, children learn lessons of hope, compassion, and unselfishness, even in the face of adversity. Here, the transformation is from an animal to another animal. No human form is involved. This is definitely a reflection on the respect for all forms of life of traditional Native American peoples.

The beautiful black and white drawings strikingly illustrate the story. John Steptoe is a master of light and shadows, so many of the illustrations have a negative picture-like quality to them. Ages 5 and up.

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This story is about a mouse who wanted to travel to the far off land. During his journey he comes across a river which he cannot cross. He meets a frog and he happens to be a magic frogs and is turned into a jumping mouse. On his way to the far off land he finds animals that need help. The jumping

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mouse is kind enough to give his eyesight and his ability to smell in order for the animals to survive. Once the jumping mouse arrives to the far off land he runs into the magic frog again. It is here that the magic frog praises him for his kindness to others and turns him into a eagle. This is a very touching story about kindess.

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Loved this book! Jumping mouse meets a series of animals on his journey to the far off land, he gives them all a gift while he looses an important sense that is crucial for his journey. The book is a retelling of a Native American tale of selflessness.

A young mouse has a dream to reach the far-off land he has heard about in stories. As he begins his journey, he encounters a magic frog that has the power to give him a frog's ability to jump simply by giving him a new name - "Jumping Mouse". As the mouse continues on his quest, he battles both

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laziness and adversity. He also encounters other creatures that have lost some important skill, and selflessly gives up his own abilities for sight and smell to help friends he meets along the way. When at last he reaches the far-off land, his determination and selflessness are rewarded when he becomes the mighty creature he once feared... the shadow in the sky.

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This was a fantastic story! It was about a mouse who has dreams of going to the far off land. His journey was long but along the way he helped others which led to him being rewarded and turned into an eagle in the end. This story has so many great ideas in it. First the idea of never giving up hope

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is prevalent throughout the entire story. The idea of kindness is also there. Jumping Mouse helps strangers after he is given his magic gift from the frog. He does this out of pure kindness and it actually ends up taking away his sight and smell. Then at the end because he was so selfless the frog came back and turned him into an eagle that could soar above the far off land and be happy forever. I would love to use this story in my future classroom. It is a really deep story that I think all people can relate to.

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I took it home because the cover was cute. I'm not gonna lie. The story was good as well. I'm not sure if it qualifies as fable/parable/myth whatever but if had a really good ending I didn't predict.

Jumping mouse wants to see the far off land. Everyone tells him that his dream is not a good idea. Jumping mouse decides to go anyway. Along the way he meets Magic Toad. Magic Toad gives Jumping Mouse powerful jumping legs. This gift helps Jumping Mouse cross rivers and get further into his

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journey. Magic Toad also tells Jumping Mouse to always have hope. While on his trip Jumping Mouse gives his eyesight to a bison and his smell to a wolf. He gives these gifts because he feels sorry for the animals and because he remembers how it felt when Magic Toad gave to him. He also has hope that no matter what he will make it to the far off land. In the end Jumping Mouse gets frustrated and is once again visited by Magic Toad. Magic Toad decides that Jumping Mouse has been very generous and decides to turn Jumping Mouse into an eagle so that he can live in the far off land forever.

This is a great tale that teaches the lesson that the more you give, the more you will get in return. Also the story reminds you to always have hope no matter what. Beautiful illustrations accompany this story. This would be a book I'd recommend to students from primary to middle school.

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Reading Level: Primary
Genre: Traditional Literature
Summary: The Native American tale about Jumping Mouse and how he uses his gifts from the Magic Frog and his unselfishness to get to the Far Off Land that he dreams of.
Evaluation: This is an interesting Native American legend about compassion that

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will get students interested in the Native American culture. It was exciting and heartwarming. The theme of this book shows that unselfishness can get you a long way, a great lesson for students. Putting others before yourself can end up helping you in the long run, and persevering and working hard will lead you to your dreams. The illustrations in this book are black and white, but they are still very beautiful and bring the book to life. This is a beautiful story that has been passed down for many years in the Native American culture.

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This has beautiful black and white illustrations and is an interesting retelling of a Great Plains Native American tale. While I loved the pictures, I'm put off by the immensity of sacrifice that the mouse so willingly offers, and the incongruity of him being turned into what would have been his

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enemy at the end. Could generate an interesting discussion about sacrifice. Perhaps pair this with The Giving Tree (another book whose message of one-sided sacrifice seems potentially harmful), and with the Magic Pomegranate which has (in my opinion) more appropriate sacrifice.

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This story can be used by a teacher for a lesson on folklore because it is a native american tale that has been passed on for generations. It could also be used to teach students a lesson on sharing or giving. The reading level is 4.1.

Beautiful.?� I'm sure there's some deeper, metaphorical, metaphysical meaning.?á Crossing a river, jumping into the sky, transformation, quest, suffering... all those have to be symbols that scholars, especially religious scholars, can appreciate better than I.?á But the story is lovely at

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face value, imo.?á And the illustrations, though just B&W, somehow glow....

(re' Great Plains Indian - well, as far as *I* am concerned, I don't care who told the story first; I don't imagine any other version could have the same power as Steptoe's.)

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"You will reach the far-off land if you keep hope alive within you." The words of Magic Frog give courage to the young mouse on his long and perilous journey to reach the wonderful land of legend. He faces many obstacles on his quest and sacrifices much to help others in need. But the mouse's

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compassion and faith in himself prove to be a source of great power...and bring him rewards even beyond his dreams.

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