Seven Blind Mice

The 1992 Caldecott-honored illustration is an adaption of the Buddhist "Blind Men and an Elephant" fable widely recognizable throughout China and India.

Ed Young switches blind men into seven blind mice and arranges the setting by a pond instead of any culturally-specific locations in order to get closer to the target readers and infuse a bit more originality.

The seven blind mice take turns each day to check one part of the elephant but draw a different conclusion each time. Finally, the last one puts all the pieces together and comes to the realization that it is an elephant.

Buddhist wisdom appeals to Western readers: don't be too hasty to draw a conclusion until you have a comprehensive understanding of certain things.

Young's extraordinary craftsmanship is on display with the textured, bright cut-paper illustrations, and uses a collage technique, a perfect combination of traditional Chinese culture and modern forms of art.