Image of the Week: Jumping Mouse
© D. Yael Bernhard
Jumping Mouse is the title of a native American folktale that I illustrated in 2012 for a publisher called The Child's World. As part of a series of hardcover children's books, this particular story hails from the Native American tribes of the northern plains. Like many indigenous stories, Jumping Mouse includes magical shape-shifting, which enabled me to depict the main character in a fanciful way, inspired by the geometric patterns on teepees and tribal clothing of the region. Minor characters such as a turtle and a frog bear similar patterns. These repeating patterns not only signify something other than ordinary reality, but also animate the figures with visual energy. Notice the slight halo around each row of the pattern on the mouse's back. This heightens contrast and creates tension. The eagle is also haloed in white, and the thin white line around the mouse serves to balance the interplay of shapes.
In the story, Jumping Mouse is a curious but humble creature whose character is revealed through his acts of selflessness, diligence, and faith. To relieve the suffering of a bison and a wolf, he gives up first one eye, then the other. In the end, poor blind Jumping Mouse is rewarded for his sacrifice. A magic frog returns the gift of "good medicine," empowering the little mouse to jump from the earth, grow wings, and transform into an eagle. The illustration above shows this climactic moment of liberation as a lowly rodent changes into a soaring raptor. This merging of species is typical of shamanic cultures, and is easy for children – who readily imagine themselves as animals – to grasp.
It's a simple but satisfying story in which compassion and courage elicit justice and freedom. I was a bit surprised that a frog acted as the agent of transformation, and not the eagle itself. Perhaps that's a lesson for me, and I should reconsider my notions of superiority within the animal kingdom.
The author did a great job on retelling this folktale for young readers. The choice of words and turns of phrase are just so, with plenty of child appeal. The book is illustrated mostly in black & white, with only a few color illustrations. I love painting in monochromatic tones, and enjoyed this departure from working exclusively in color. Black and white illustration is also a lot less time-consuming. Overall, it was a great assignment, which I worked on together with another book in the same series titled Coyote Rides the Sun.
I just started designing and illustrating a new children's book – my first in several years. It's a story about King Solomon and his quest for the key to offering hope to his poor, downtrodden subjects and humility to his proud and wealthy ones. The main character, a common kitchen boy in the ancient Jerusalem temple, finds the answer. Initial sketches are always hardest, requiring a lot of research, studies, and trial and error. I need to be patient and determined, just like Jumping Mouse.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard