The story of Noah’s ark is told in rhyming verse that doesn’t quite sing. To the traditional story the author adds details that readers will appreciate—the ark was made of Cypress wood with three decks, and he even describes where many of the animals chose to live while on board. Wind and rain are anthropomorphized with personal pronouns and illustrations of their “faces.” With words such as stout, preferred, slithered, torrents, haven, and disembark, the author introduces new vocabulary to his readers, using context to make meanings clear. Unfortunately, the verses are not consistent in their rhyming pattern, leading to a choppy feel and breaking up the rhythm of the story. Several of the lines seem forced, as if he chose words for the number of syllables or rhyme pattern rather than for their fit. For example, after listing the individual animals loaded onto the ark, he names the generic and all-inclusive “bugs” to complete a rhyme with “slugs.” Newcomer Ferri’s soft-edged pictures are sweetly simple. His people are block figures, but their faces are full of emotion. The animals are easily recognizable—basic forms without a lot of competing details. The colors reflect the moods of the pages: soft greens and warm reds fill the illustrations of Noah and the animals; cool, angry blues dominate the pages that detail the people’s wickedness and the flood. It’s too bad the text doesn’t live up to the illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-84148-361-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty.
Miriam is pivotal in the story of Moses and the Exodus.
A 7-year-old girl narrates the details of the day that she heeds “God’s voice,” places her baby brother in a basket, sets him adrift in the Nile River to save him from “Pharoah’s men,” and then watches as Pharoah’s daughter rescues him. That baby boy will grow up to be Moses, and his sister is the prophet Miriam. In her author’s note, Yolen explains that she has taken this story from Exodus and from the Midrash, tales that interpret the Torah. Miriam’s story is interwoven with miracles associated with water, ranging from that basket on the Nile to the parting of the Red Sea and the life-giving water flowing from a rock that sustains the Jews wandering in the desert, but there are relatively few children’s books that place her at their center. Many celebrants of the Passover Seder sing a song honoring Miriam and will welcome a book that celebrates her childhood. It is Le’s illustrations that truly shine, however. The vibrant blues and oranges reflect both calm and swirling waters dotted with a multitude of plant life. Elegant storks wade in the water as hippos and crocodiles swim nearby.
This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4400-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An upbeat holiday tale marred by spotty logic.
An unusual Hanukkah miracle.
On the first night of Hanukkah, Ruthie’s parents give her a pair of holiday-themed “pajamakkahs.” Dad says that she can wear them to the family’s “Hanukkah Pajamakkah Party” on the eighth night. Ruthie wants to wear them “all eight nights.” Mom agrees but tells her to keep them “spotless.” Despite Ruthie’s precautions, she accrues myriad stains as she helps cook latkes, lights the menorah, does arts and crafts, and crashes into a pile of jelly doughnuts. But there are no spots here, says Ruthie—just “streaks,” “splotches,” “sparkles,” and “squishes.” On the final night of Hanukkah, the whole family and even the dog sport pajamakkahs of their own. Mom’s aghast at Ruthie’s pj’s. Dad says it’s a miracle they lasted eight nights, but he sees spots. “Dotted, not spotted,” Ruthie counters. Other, racially diverse, pajama-clad family members arrive. Ruthie twirls the dreidel and, inexplicably, causes a whirlwind, upending latkes, art supplies, and more. Are those spots on Ruthie’s pajamakkahs at last? Finally, Ruthie says, “a Hanukkah miracle!” This thinly plotted, only mildly amusing story is rife with logical holes. Even the youngest readers won’t believe Ruthie’s parents didn’t insist the badly soiled pj’s should get tossed in the washer sooner. It isn’t clear what’s so miraculous about Ruthie’s dirty jammies, and the child’s literalness wears thin. The cheerful, digitally created illustrations feature familiar Hanukkah symbols but are otherwise undistinguished. Ruthie and her immediate family are pale-skinned.
An upbeat holiday tale marred by spotty logic. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781728284576
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
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