1. Noah’s Ark (Picture Yearling Book) Discount !!
The bee and the fox, the sheep and the ox–two of each kind trudged aboard Noah’s famous
vessel. Peter Spier uses his own translation of a seventeenth-century Dutch poem about this
most famous menagerie.
An Almost Wordless Vision of Noah’s Story
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…
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2. Fascinating & Accurate
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.
Great story beautifully told in pictures
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.[/has_review]
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