Caldecott Honor "Noah's Ark"

Caldecott Honor book for 2003.

Pinkney, Jerry. (2002). Noah's Ark. New York: SeaStar Books.

This storybook tells the biblical story of Noah's Ark. The story starts with God not being pleased with the way people were acting on earth and did not follow His word. However, there was one man that pleased God and loved Him. This man's name was Noah. God decided to send a great flood upon the earth that would destroy all living things and He instructed Noah to build an ark. After the ark was build, God wanted Noah to bring two of every creature onto the ark. Noah could also bring his family to the safety of the ark. Noah carefully obeyed God and followed His instructions. After finishing the ark, Noah and his family gathered food to store on the ark. Other people noticed the large ark and questioned why Noah had built it upon dry land. Then one day the rain clouds started to form. God began assembling the animals to load the ark, two by two. Noah and his family, along with all of the earth's creatures, were safe and sound within the ark when the rains started pouring down. Every part of the earth was flooded and it rained for forty days and nights. To stop the rain, God sent a powerful wind across the earth to make the waters recede. Finally, the ark landed on the top of the largest mountain, which was surrounded by water. Noah knows that there is dry land when he sends a dove out to check. The dove returns with an olive branch. Everything upon the earth started flourishing and growing once again. The creatures on the ark was released back upon the earth to resume their lives. Noah and his family started preparing for their first harvest and thanked God for keeping them safe.

I have heard this Bible story many times throughout my life. However, I have never read it in the form of a storybook. I thought it was written in a manner that would be very easy for young children to understand. I would definitely recommend it, especially for Sunday School classroom libraries! The illustrations were wonderful as well! Pickney did a great job using his famous technique that involves the mixture of pencil, colored pencils, and watercolors.

Pickney has written and illustrated many other children's books such as: The Nightingale, Jump at the Sun, Goin' Someplace Special, Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me, & The Old African. Pickney has a wonderful website (www.jerrypickneystudio.com) that highlights each of his written and illustrated works. The website also provides a description of the many awards he has received and a biography.