THE STORY OF NOAH AND THE ARK

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)