Synopsis
As storm clouds gather in the sky above, the animals of Noah's ark offer their own version of the story from the Bible. Beginning with the Aardvarks, who hear Noah receiving the news of the coming flood, animals representing each letter of the alphabet bear witness to what they have seen.
Together with Rosanne Litzinger's jewel-like paintings, John Stewig's reverent and eloquent text makes a unique alphabet book.
Children's Literature
For each letter of the alphabet, animals from aardvarks to zebras tell the story of Noah and the Ark from their point of view. God foretells the flood; Noah and his family build and provision the ark, gathering the animals two by two. The rain falls for forty days; the waters rise. When they finally subside, Noah sends out the raven, then the dove. The ark lands, the animals leave, Noah builds an altar to God, God sends the rainbow, and Noah s sons and daughters go forth and multiply. All is told by the animals. Using pencil, watercolors, gouache, and color pencils, Litzinger produces scenes such as that on the jacket, in which dozens of animal pairs crowd together. There s a solidity that is enhanced by large curving areas that shape bodies along with the ark and the surrounding waters. Stylized, the animals appear in scenes designed to convey the significance of the adventure, which is spiritual with a sense of quiet awe. A glossary lists all the animals and includes facts about them. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz