The book Noah’sArk is illustrated by Peter Spier and was the winner of The Caldecott Medal for illustrations in 1978. The book also received the National Book Award for Children’s books in 1982 for the picture book category. This story is a biblically based picture book that could also be placed in the genre of Christian literature for young children.
Book Summary:
This book is a beautifully illustrated retelling of the Bible story, Noah’s Ark. The very first illustration comes before the title page and features a full-spread color illustration of the wickedness filling the land. There is fire, smoke, armies, death, and barren lands, except for where Noah stands tending his crops. The illustrator created an illuminating spotlight on Noah coming from Heaven and used a verse from Genesis to reiterate the meaning of the picture; “…But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” The story really begins before the reader ever makes it past the title page with 2 more full-spread images of Noah building the Ark. The only other words found in the book are on page 2 next to an illustration of Noah carrying a table and supplies onto the Ark. Peter Spier translated the Dutch poem The Flood by Jacob Revius which also tells the story of Noah’s Ark. The rest of the story is told completely in full-color illustrations that accurately follow the Bible story and help give young readers a glimpse at what it may have been like to have lived inside the Ark for over a year.
APA Reference of Book:
Spier, P. (1977). Noah's Ark. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
Impressions:
The opening illustration in this story makes it very clear to me why Peter Spier won the 1978 Caldecott Medal, and the greatness continues throughout the rest of the book. Spier illustrates the story incredibly accurately and with wonderful bits of humor throughout. There is a picture of Noah and his wife inside the Ark when the animals are coming in 2 by 2 and Noah’s wife is standing up on a basket because the mice are coming by. Right below that Noah is having to send off all but 2 of the bees and it looks like he is wagging his finger at them telling them they cannot come in. As a Sunday school teacher, these images bring to life the Bible story from Genesis and would give young children a better idea of what it might have been like for Noah and his family. There are images of Noah and his sons having to muck the stalls, feed the animals, milk the cows, and even fishing out from the deck of the Ark. One image that really caught my attention was the picture of Noah sitting in the dark by candlelight looking tired and weary. Spier captured the emotion so beautifully and anyone who knows the Bible story understands that Noah had to have been exhausted and wondering if the rains would ever stop. The last use of any words comes at the very end of the story after everyone is off the Ark and there is a beautiful rainbow in the sky illustrating God’s promise to never again flood the earth. Noah is seen working his land and the words from Genesis 9:20 “…and he planted a vineyard” end the book.
Professional Review:
Taken from Kirkus Reviews
". . . Creatures all, / Large and small, / Good and mean, / Foul and clean, / Fierce and tame, / In they came, / Pair by pair, / Gross and fair. . . ." Perhaps so as not to break the rhythm, perhaps in order not to distract from the pore-over-able watercolors, Spier confines all 60 three-syllable lines of this neat little 17th-century Dutch rhyme ("The Flood," by Jacobus Revius) to an opening page, then settles down to tell the familiar story in pictures. There is quiet diversion aplenty in Spier's throwaway detail--Noah admitting two bees and brushing away swarms of others; the branch that the dove brings back being fed to the cow; a whole gangplank of rabbits disembarking though only two began the voyage--and it's seen from a variety of viewing points: a scene of marching underbellies complete with smaller hitchhikers and fellow passengers, a sad rear view of those left behind, a wide one of chores being done on the busy floating barn. Without revising or even enlarging on the old story, Spier fills it in, delightfully.
Pub Date: Aug. 1st, 1977 ISBN: 0385094736 Page count: 52pp Publisher: Doubleday Review Posted Online: May 10th, 2012 Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1st, 1977
APA Reference of
Professional Review:
Kirkus Media, LLC. (2012, May 10). Noah's Ark.
Retrieved from Kirkus:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peter-spier/noahs-ark6/
As a Sunday school teacher for over ten years, my first idea would be to use this for a lesson in a church setting. After reading the story from Genesis to the children, this book could be used to allow the children to retell the story of Noah’s Ark in their own words. Pictures have a magical way of bringing stories to life for children and they make the story more memorable. The pictures in this book go beyond the words in Genesis and answer the question of what it must have been like to be on an Ark full of animals for a full year. With the help of the Sunday school teacher, children could take turns telling the parts of the story shown on each page. As they go along the teacher can reread the verses of the bible that go with the pictures on each page. This would allow children to better visualize the words in Genesis and allow for open discussion as they retell the story of Noah’s Ark as a class.
Readalikes:
For this week’s readalikes, I am going to share some of my
favorite books that I have used while teaching Sunday school. There are so many great stories and as a
Librarian, I love bringing storybooks into my lessons. These are only my
suggestions and I always recommending that you read the book before using it to
make sure the story fits your own personal beliefs.
He’s got the wholeworld in his hands by Kadir Nelson is a simple and beautiful picture book
that illustrates the song by the same name.
I have used this book numerous times when teaching about God’s love for
us and loving our neighbors as God loved us.
A great story that follows the bible story of Jonah is from
the collection of Alice in Bibleland Storybooks is The story of Jonah written by Alice Joyce Davidson and illustrated
by Victoria Marshall. My favorite part
of this story is that it ends with Alice telling what she learned from the
bible story.
One of my favorite Christmas stories that I have used every
year that I have taught Sunday school is The legend of the candy cane written by Lori Walburg and illustrated by James
Bernardin. The illustrations in this
book are beautiful and the kids always love the story. The story does not follow the bible story
completely, but it is a great way to introduce parts of the Christmas story
that will be studied in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT.
Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT.
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