NOAH'S ARK

Still another Noah, this time from a much-honored illustrator of Armenian heritage, which may give her a special claim to Ararat. In an unusual beginning, Hogrogian sets the story in context by starting with the Creation of the universe, animals, and Adam and Eve, and a reverse summary of the generations from Adam to Noah. The abbreviated Biblical text serves as outline (sometimes confusingly: man begins to multiply after Noah is introduced). Many familiar details (serpent, rainbow) appear only in the watercolor illustrations, which are the real vehicle for the familiar story: Decorative and charming, from the dramatic black title page (light emerging from the void) to the first produce of Noah's vineyard (ruefully captioned ""the beginning""), their mistily muted tones and stylized figures suggest the reality of a time long ago. Neither the best Hogrogian nor the best Noah, but a pleasant rendition of one of the all-time favorites.