Noah's Ark: (Caldecott Medal Winner)

It’s a good easy to follow story with fun pictures.

This book won Peter Spier the coveted Caldecott Medal for the best illustrated children's book in 1978. Most Caldecott Medal winners enhance the story with illustrations. But a few transcend the written material by becoming the story. Noah's Ark is of the latter category. The book opens with a scene of brutal war on the left hand page. On the right hand page is the image of Noah tending to his agricultural tasks. The words at the bottom of the page say simply, " . . . But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Next, there is a translation of a Dutch poem written by Jacobus Revins that tells the briefest outline of the Noah saga. The rest of the book until the last page is wordless. The final page shows Noah after the flood tending to his agriculture with the words, " . . . and he planted a vineyard."The illustrations provide nonverbal stories about Noah. You see the enormous task it was to build an ark, the difficulties of rounding up all the animals, the even greater challenges of taking care of them during the flood on the ark, and the process of returning to the land as the waters receded. By using only illustrations, you and your child have some latitude as to how you wish to interpret the story. You can be very literal, or you can be more poetic. A lot depends on how sensitive your child is. I can remember feeling frightened as a young child to realize that God could choose to destroy virtually all life on Earth.The illustrations are brilliant for portraying perspective. The ark is made to appear enormous. Yet there are some illustrations during the flood where the ark is clearly tiny in the context of the worldwide ocean. There are a lot of stories within the story. For example, the sequence where the dove is released and brings back a sprig of leaves from dry land is quite interesting. Many themes are carried out in a number of ways as well, including the notion of being a loyal servant. You can have many wonderful discussions about why God directed Noah to act as he did, and what the lessons are for today. The colors and use of pen to fill in details are quite rewarding, as are the delicate individual watercolor images within thoughtfully planned out compositions. Noah has a benign and spiritual appeal in these representations that make him seem like someone you would want to spend time with. Rather than seeing him as remote and hard to understand, your child will probably appreciate Noah as a version of a friendly, supportive grandfather. The promise for the future is wonderfully captured by a gorgeous rainbow at the end. The overall feeling of these cartoons is not unlike the work of Walt Disney's studio animators during the 1930s. One potential way to enjoy this book even more is to write out your own version of the story, as dictated by your youngster. As she or he matures, you can write new versions that your youngster creates. He or she will probably enjoy seeing these in the future, as a wonderful mom

My 4-year-old son was completely smitten with this book the first time we read it. He loved to look at all the details; the illustrations are wonderful. The book beaufully portrays God's vengeance and God's ultimate love. What struck me was the accuracy of the biblical story that so many of today's Noah's Ark books overlook or twist: - the length of time the flood waters took to receed - enough time for the animals to procreate (especially the bunnies!); - that God chose Noah, not that Noah was some sort of savior who, on his own, saved mankind; - the depravity of humanity (a city on fire); - the mess and smell of animal waste and the hard work to care for the animals - it shows Noah shoveling manure.I strongly recommend Peter Spier's "Noah's Ark" for anyone who is interested in teaching children biblical truths so often secularized in today's world and also for the beautiful illustrations and details.

I am particularly struck by three things in Peter Spier's Noah's Ark. First, the panoramic quality and amazing detail of the illustrations. The more time you spend with each picture the more you find. Second, the way a fairly complex story is beautifully told without words. Third, the way Spier is able to convey depth and breadth and nuance of emotion in his drawings. He exquisitely captures the body language and small facial details, in drawings that seem simple but apparently are not. This adds realism, helps you put yourself in the character's place, and is the part of Spier's artwork I like most.Note that the illustrations at the beginning of the story depict violence and are somewhat gory if you examine the details. You might need to consider how to present this, especially with younger children (say under 4?) With the youngest, pre-verbal, you might want to skip the beginning of the story entirely.

Any child can follow the story by following Peter Spier's beautiful illustrations. The few words at the opening the book are well chosen for adults as well as children.

This is a delightful picture book. This illustrations are intricately detailed and appealing; and since there is only a small bit ot text in the beginning, there is time to study and enjoy them. My own children have loved this book for years. I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to make Bible stories come alive for children.