NOAH’S BARK

Krensky uses the basic elements of the Noah’s Ark story for his own original pourquoi tale of how the animals came to have their own distinctive sounds. While Noah builds his ark in preparation for the imminent flood, he is surrounded by a wide assortment of animals that randomly use all the typical animal sounds from moos to meows. Though Noah successfully herds all the animal pairs into the ark, chaos ensues, and there is no communication between species until Noah devises a way for the animals to choose their own characteristic noises. The amusing, understated text has the flavor of a traditional folktale, well complemented by Rogé’s naïve paintings with flattened perspective and muted colors. The illustrations have a dark, moody atmosphere with gray skies and driving rain, offset by the folksy charm of the animals. There is no obvious religious content in the text, with no mention of God and no dove or rainbow. While this choice makes the book plenty ecumenical, it also will render readers unfamiliar with the story mystified at Noah’s foreknowledge of the flood and determination to build the ark. (Picture book. 3-5)