Seven Blind Mice was the recipient of a Caldecott Honor in 1993. They concluded by calling the book 'xquisitely crafted'. Kirkus also noted how the final mouse, the one capable of seeing the whole picture, is the only female one. Kirkus Reviews called Young's retelling of the blind men and an elephant through the use of collage 'innovative' and commented on the 'dramatic black ground' in which the illustrations and text are superimposed against.

The reviewer noted, though, that the story's moral could be seen as 'superfluous' by some. Publishers Weekly called Seven Blind Mice a 'stunning celebration of color', and also noted how the sparse use of text allows for 'greater exploration and enjoyment of the artwork'. A review for the School Library Journal also praised the book's art, saying the collage was 'vibrant', and its use on a completely black background resulted in a 'strong visual impact.' Horn Book 's review praised the art, 'where the brightly colored mice cavort against black backgrounds', and called the elephant's design 'striking'. Reception Įd Young's book was received positively, including a starred review from The Horn Book Magazine. He later introduced the idea of the seven days of the week.

Having added a seventh character, Young then began introducing other concepts that worked with that number, such as colors, with six of the mice representing the rainbow and the seventh a light.

He considered using monkeys at first, but wanted an even smaller animal, so settled on having the characters be mice instead. When planning the book, Ed Young believed that the story would work better with pictures if the blind men were instead small animals exploring the elephant. It was well received by critics and received a Caldecott Honor for its illustrations. Based on the Indian fable of the blind men and an elephant, the book tells the story of seven mice who, each day, explore and describe a different part of the elephant. Seven Blind Mice is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Ed Young.

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young