我選我自己

by Martin Baltscheit

　　不會寫字的獅子又來了！這次動物們不幫獅子寫情書，還要和他競選總統…

　　每隔五年，森林裡會舉辦一場總統大選。獅子最愛選舉了，因為每一次都是他當選，為了感謝選民的支持，獅子會請大家盡情享用香甜的小點心和草莓奶昔。

　　可是這一次，小灰鼠卻有不同的想法，他說：「如果一場選舉只有一個候選人，那有什麼意義呢？既然要選舉，就一定要有競爭對手！」

　　獅子接受了挑戰，結果卻出乎意料…

每個人都站在自己的立場發聲，會發生什麼事？
什麼是更好的生活？大家的想法是一樣的嗎？

　　德國作家馬丁．巴茲塞特為傳統動物寓言故事披上時代的新衣，帶領我們用幽默的態度來看「選舉」。故事中，自從小灰鼠貼了競選海報高呼：「和我共創微笑人生」之後，其他動物也加入了選戰，紛紛站出來發表政見。大家都想當總統，究竟誰會當選呢？是勇敢站出來爭取公民權利的小灰鼠；或是主張法律與秩序至上的德國狼犬；還是選擇提倡萬物平等，大家都吃一樣的食物，穿一樣的衣服的牛羚？每種動物都代表了不同的人格特質，以及每個人對於美好生活的想像。

　　小灰鼠慷慨激昂的說：「貓沒有權利吃老鼠，只要我當選，就換我們吃貓啦！」一隻高雅的貓接著說：「投我一票，我保證你們餐餐都有吃不完的老鼠！」而螞蟻要求分派更多的工作，因為他認為一天只工作二十個小時是不夠的；德國狼犬要求紀律和秩序，因此他要求大家佩帶項圈；鴕鳥想要蓋一座嶄新的機場，但是當大家問他錢要從哪裡來的時候，他立刻把頭埋進沙裡…隨著政見發表結束，選舉結果出乎意料。各自為政的新統治者忙著對現自己的選舉支票，一場空前的混亂就此展開。

　　從圖畫中不難看出幽默的嘲諷意味，插畫家馬克．布塔方對於塑造動物形象著實下了一番苦功。從明亮充滿活力的黃色封面開始，就預告了一個好玩的故事即將展開。動物們爭相展露最迷人的一面，彷彿要參加選美！翻到封底，從獅子好整以暇微笑面對小灰鼠的表情看來，他似乎沒有把競爭對手放在眼裡；在小灰鼠發表政見那一頁，小灰鼠站在打開的易開罐拉環上，台下清一色是熱情的老鼠聽眾，而唯一的貓聽眾，臉上帶著友善好奇的神情，卻受到周遭鼠輩們不友善的推擠排斥；而在綿羊高喊：「只要我當選，大家都不能穿毛衣和打毛線！」那頁，站在一旁的蛇、蝸牛和兔子，全穿戴著毛衣、毛帽和圍巾…插畫為文字填補了許多空間，更為本書增添豐富的可看性。

　　這本充滿幽默智慧的圖畫書，很適合帶領孩子認識公民社會的第一步。故事結局值得思考，推選自己或許沒有錯，但在此之前，更應該思考自己是否有能力擔此重責大任，是否真心為大家著想，還是只想擁有權力…畢竟團體生活要順利推展，除了領導者更需要其他人。

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Martin Baltscheit is a German comic artist, illustrator, author, actor, and director.

Reviews

[Julie]

wtf????????????????

[Jennifer B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny and satirical look at politics, in a way that adults will find all too familiar and kids will understand.

[Amanda Kusant · Rating 1 out of 5]

This appears to be a cute book about elections...it isn’t so. The art is the only reason I gave this one star. The story is confusing and scary; when the animals of the community decide to finally run against the lion, all hell breaks loose. The lion had been repeatedly running, uncontested, for office. As soon as the mouse questions the point of an election with only one candidate, everyone decides to run. It could be cute and funny, instead it’s a terrifying push for a dictatorship???

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

An advertisement for authoritarian government in which one candidate always gets all the votes and wins the "elections" every year? A parable about the chaos of having candidates with different opinions, and why this one candidate system is better? I can't help but wonder about the agenda of this book!

[Linda Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mouse decides to be an opponent to the lion's dictatorship. Is the message of this book that the alternative is chaos? Because that's what happens...everyone ends up voting for themselves so in effect, there is no order. So in the end, they vote back in the lion! Yikes! Cute art .

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this stars for its illustrations alone. The timing of U.S. publication (2020) is just too unfortunate, though. If this is intended as some kind of allegory, it's just a bad idea right now.

[Elliot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this as a satire is much more enjoyable than accepting it's strange pro-authoritative dictatorship.
What is the Lion doing to stop the incarceration and murder of chicken and mice? Nothing as of yet!

[Octavia · Rating 3 out of 5]

un libro entrete sobre la democracia, pero medio random tbh

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good picture book to share during election season!