THE BOAT OF MANY ROOMS

The story of Noah, told in episodic verse. Lewis (Black Swan/White Crow, 1995, etc.) takes a turn at biblical, ballad-like poetry; paired with its own illustration, each poem follows a different rhyme scheme (the many rooms of the title), a novel idea for a collection that tells a single story, but one that fragments the overall tale rather than uniting its many facets. The drama of the story is supplanted by the form, which diverts attention away from actions and events. In the same vein as Birds, Beasts and Fishes (1991), Cartwright's highly stylized oil paintings depict a white-bearded Noah amidst crowds of smiling animals on each mural- like page. (Picture book. 6-10)