Noah's Ark (Picture Yearling Book) by Jacobus Revius
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Book Reviews of Noah's Ark (Picture Yearling Book)
Book Review: Two By Two
Summary: 5 Stars
The first two pages of Noah's Ark are a stark portrayal of good and evil. On one side the earth is scorched. A city burns, billowing dirty smoke into a grey sky. An army issues from its gates, clearly bent on visiting destruction on any living thing. Livestock and people lie slaughtered in pools of blood. Nothing grows; vultures circle in the sky.
On the other side: a verdant lush and lovely landscape. Neatly kept and terraced vineyards rise up to an orderly orchard in which goats and sheep are grazing. Tall trees surround a homestead in the center. Barnyard animals go about their business. Noah is gathering grapes, illuminated by a shaft of light descending from the sky.
And beneath it is written"...But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord".
But for those words, five other at the end of the story ("...and he planted a vineyard") and a translation by the author of the Jacobus Revius 15th century poem, "The Flood", Noah's Ark is a picture book only.
How do you read a book without words? The same way you did when you were a kid; you look at the pictures.
And Spier's beautiful, richly detailed watercolors provide a lot to look at.
We see Noah fending off a swarm of bees so only two will enter the hive he has prepared. We see his wife jumping up on a basket as two mice come strolling into the ark. We see the rain come, and then the flood, swallowing up all creatures great and small that have been left behind. We see endlessly interesting portrayals of life inside the ark. And then - the sending of the dove and its returning with the olive branch, and the emotion of knowing that the waters are receding.
We see the progenitors of a new and better world leaving the ark, including a hoard if rabbits who clearly have not been idle through their incarceration. Last to leave, for obvious reasons, are two small snails...
And then the rainbow, and the promise, and peace settling over an idyllic landscape.
Peter Spier shows himself to be a great artist, and in Noah's Ark he has created a true thing of beauty, very deserving of the Caldecott Medal that it won in 1978.
Book Review: A Beautiful Book with Wide Appeal
Summary: 5 Stars
The happy and humorous tone of this book will make it appealing to any child, whatever the family's religion.
The only text is at the beginning and it is a charming translation of a poem that summarizes the story of Noah. The poem is delightful in and of itself- Spier did a great job of translating.
The illustrations are then left without text, which is very refreshing, since there are so few picture books nowadays. I enjoy leisurely paging through this book with my young daughter, talking about the pictures in and of themselves, as pieces of art and as pictures that tell a story. I feel that the pressure is off in terms of trying to finish a sentence or a story when there is no text there.
In addition, this book is appropriate for Muslim families as well, since the illustrations (and beginning poem) are sufficiently vague as to accommodate for the small differences in the telling of the story in the Qu'ran and the Bible.
Book Review: One of the Best Noah's Ark Books Available
Summary: 5 Stars
Everyone should have at least one Noah's Ark story, and Peter Spier's version is one of the best available. It is especially well suited to children, with its wordless format and careful attention to visual detail. Sweeping illustrations fill up each page with well-developed vignettes, evoking the horror, danger and hope of the original story.
The story is simple, yet this book is complex enough for both pre-readers and readers. Having discussed it with an adult, pre-readers will be able enjoy it on their own for an extended time, since the pictures convey at least as much information as the words.
Book Review: Love It!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent picture book - my three year old really loves it. My only "complaint" is that it takes a long time to go through all the pictures and talk about each one making it less than ideal right before bed unless you want to spend 20 minutes on just one book! Seriously though - the book is just wonderful and allows parents to go into whatever level of detail regarding the Noah story as they feel is appropriate for the age of their child. It is a softcover and the pages and cover are not of the highest quality - it would be lovely to have in hardcover with larger pages.Book Review: for my granddaughter
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my all time favorite picture books for all ages. Peter Spiers beautiful illustrations need no words to tell this story. The possibilities for interacting with a child are endless as you wander through the familiar and find the surprising! My granddaughter is 2 years old and loves animals. What could be a better birthday gift?