A REGULAR ROLLING NOAH

by George Ella Lyon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1986

Gammell, illustrator of two Caldecott Honor books, uses water-colors to narrate a mountain boy's train journey, during which he cares for the farm animals that his neighbors are taking along as they emigrate to Canada. Poet Lyon's spare, graceful text (from the melodious title, a hobo's epithet for the boy, to such images as ""We've run out of mountains. Sky right down to your ankles. Big wind might blow you away"") is a perfect foil for the splendid paintings. A muted version of the rainbow palette used in The Relatives Came evokes the mist-filled mountains, the strangely flat prairie, the quintessential steam-powered, red-caboosed train, and the sturdy farm animals, crammed into an ark of a baggage car. In inspired touches, reflections in puddles echo forms and colors, and the text on some pages is superimposed on gloriously hued, not quite representational watercolor passages suggesting sky or landscape. Besides train and animals, there's enough incident and visual humor along the way to keep children interested in this tale of a boy who has a job to do and does it well. Receiving a train ticket as pay, the boy returns home in style. ""World's a big affair. . .Be glad you have these mountains to call home.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bradbury/Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1986

Categories: CHILDREN'S