Noah's Ark

by Jerry Pinkney

For 40 days and 40 nights rain poured from the heavens, enveloping the world. Only Noah had been warned by God of the great floodand only Noah could save life on earth. This powerful story of salvation has fascinated people of all ages for centuries. Now, four-time Caldecott Honor-recipient Jerry Pinkney captures all the courage, drama, and beauty of this ancient parable in rich, glorious paintings. Full of sensitive detail and emotion, his art brings new life and meaning to an important message of peace. This elegant edition of Noah's Ark promises to give readers strength and hope for many years to come.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Religion, Christian, Nonfiction, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

Jerry Pinkney was an American illustrator and writer of children's literature. Pinkney illustrated more than 100 books, including picture books, nonfiction titles and novels. Pinkney's works addressed diverse themes and were usually done in watercolors. He was the recipient of five Caldecott Honor books and the winner of the Caldecott Medal for The Lion and the Mouse. He also won the Coretta Scott King Award five times, the Coretta Scott King Honor four times, and was nominated for the prestigious international Hans Christian Anderson Award.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Noah on the cover of the book looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Leave it to the Jedi to save the planet.*wink*

This is the beautifully rendered telling of Noah’s Ark from the bible. There isn’t a new angle here or anything, it is a straight forward telling of the story.

I realized, after reading this, that I have been working on a story that has a similar nature to this story. I mean the theme is similar, but anyway. I didn’t realize it until I read this. Interesting. I like my story and I think I will have it bound when I’m done for me, you know.

The nephew loved all the animals, especially the big whales in the sea jumping all over. He said “Wow, that’s a whole lot of rain there.” Both kids know the story well. He gave this 4 stars. The niece said it was a good story too and she gave this 3 stars without much reason why, just 3 stars.

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

 
Amazing story retold from the Bible about Noah's obedience to God, with the amazing talents of Jerry Pinkney. A beautiful children's book to own and treasure. ♥
 

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautiful illustration style for children's picture books. This is a short retelling of Noah and his obedience to God in creating the ark that saved him and the animals from the flood.

[Christina Mathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as you open the cover, it is beautiful. It even has a, "In the beginning...." statement with the illustrations on the very first page. This story is about how God was upset with the way of the world and wanted a new one. He asked Noah to build a arc, and Noah listened. Animals walked into the arc two by two and God shut the door behind them. For forty days and forty nights it rained. After letting the birds out to look for land, one finally came back with a branch in its mouth. They left the boat and God brought a rainbow to promise to never flood the Earth again.

The pictures are in watercolor and take up every page. They are very detailed and go along very well with the writings of the book. He even drew a page where the people came to mock Noah and you can see them in the crowds arguing and pointing in disbelief. There is even a page full of animals in sets of two. The very last page is touching also. It shows Noah tilling the land and a rainbow in the background reminding them of God's promise.

I would use this as a read-a-loud with my children at home. Before I read this book at school, I would make sure that it was OK. They have been taking religion out of schools and I am not sure if I would be allowed to read this book at school or not. If I was able to read this book, I would probably read it with my preschool to second grade class.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deservedly a 2003 Caldecott Honor Medalist, this picture book tells the story of Noah and how God warned him about the coming flood that would destroy those who were not good caretakers of the Earth. While his neighbors mocked him, Noah continued to build an enormous ark and then fill it with two of each species. Young readers will be fascinated by the enormity of the vessel and those sumptuous, detailed illustrations, created with pencil, colored pencil, and watercolors. Even the endpapers are intriguing with the first ones beginning with words from Genesis and the last ones bearing a rainbow-wreathed planet and God's promise never again to destroy the Earth through a flood. I like the hints of stewardship and sustainability that are woven through the book, perhaps a gentle warning to today's readers to take better care of the good green earth on which they live. It's especially interesting to compare this one with Noah's Ark, the 1978 Caldecott Medalist by Peter Spier.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this version of Noah's Ark are detailed, realistic, expressive...absolutely wonderful!!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great artwork. The illustrator really loves whales.

[Chloe Kessler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caldecott Medal
Preschool-7th grade
This book retells the story of Noah’s Ark, where Noah survives a terrible flood by building a boat and bringing two of every animal with him.
This book fits into the religious picture book category because the story of Noah’s Ark comes from the Bible. The lighting and muted colors of the illustrations give the book a soft atmosphere which works very well. I would probably use this book for a whole group read-aloud.

[Olivia Lebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry Pinkney did a wonderful job writing and illustrating the story of Noah and his family's journey to responding to God's call to save the Earth. Pinkney's crafting in the illustrations consisted of pencil, colored pencil, and water color to intricately depict the story and all of its fine detail. The protagonist of the story, Noah, takes us on a journey of fixing the broken Earth that was once perfectly made by God. In the climax of the story, we see that Noah was able to find the promise land where all could become new and perfect again. In each spread of this story, the illustrations created by Pinkney helped to beautifully connect the story to its true meaning. In the resolution, readers are left with a theme that entails a promise of a new beginning to all living things. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

[Kiaria Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you looking for a retold Bible story from your childhood?

An amazingly written and illustrated book for those that love a good bible story.
This folklore picture book is a great depiction of the author’s style and the great Bible story. The retelling is beautifully written as the plot flows well from the exposition of meeting Noah, his
sons, Noah’s wife, and his sons’ wives to the resolution of God’s promise shown as a rainbow.

A 5-star book that would be wonderful addition to any classroom!

[Syd Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Religious Picture Book
Award: Caldecott Honor
Audience: kindergarten-3rd grade
A. This Book is a picture book because it is 32 pages with illustrations essential to the story. It is a Religious Picture Book because it is telling the story of Noah from Genesis 6:9-8:14.
B. Pinkney uses texture to make the book pages come alive. The texture of each animal, of the clothing of the people, of their hair, of the ark, and of nature make the scenes realistic and full of feeling and detail. Pinkney uses texture to show the rich diversity of having two of every animal on the ark. He also uses it to compare and contrast different elements of the story. The ark is strikingly alone in the midst of a smooth sea with a few tumultuous waves and clouds overhead. The texture makes the people seam realistic, especially Noah with his wrinkles and furrowed eyebrows. He comes off of the page, which makes the story seem real and preserved in the pages of a children's book.
C. This would be a beautiful book to use in a story-time within Sunday school. In a private school, this could be a beautiful read-aloud book, or a book during a Bible time that makes the Bible story come to life.
D. What did God ask Noah to do? He asked him to build an ark made out of cypress wood.

[Suzanne Gust · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard this story many times from Sunday School, from church and from my children's Bible when I was younger. When I saw that Jerry Pinkney illustrated it and it was made into a children's book, I had to read it. The story begins with God telling of his unhappiness with people not caring for one another or the planet and his plan to sweep away all that was evil in a massive flood. I liked this part because it really tells the whole story of Noah's Ark, and why it happened. God then speaks to Noah, a kind hearted man, and tells him to build an ark to protect his family and two animals of each kind from the flood. Noah accepts this challenge and builds the ark. I was very impressed with the illustrations, and how they were done with watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil. The pictures add a large amount of character expansion, especially with the animals since there are not many specifics on the animals themselves. I am not sure about keeping this book in my future classroom. This storybook could be controversial due to its religious nature. I would definitely keep it in my classroom if I was allowed to do so. I really enjoyed this rendition of Noah's Ark.

[Meltha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not specifically my choice. This was part of a catechism lesson plan. First off, Pinkney's drawings are, as always stunningly beautiful. I love the way he captures facial expressions, but the animals here look wonderfully realistic. The whales swimming through the ruined streets in particular are amazing. The down side is, well, it's Noah's Ark. It's a story about God deciding to kill everything and everyone on the entire planet that doesn't fit in a boat. I have always had a huge problem with the entire concept of this one, so yeah, can't blame Pinkey as he didn't write Genesis, but still. I don't get how people think this is a cute story and decorate kids' rooms with this as a motif. It scared me horribly as a kid, and as an adult it's really disturbing. So, there you go, gorgeous illustrations, dark story involving mass death of all men, women, children, and babies on the planet Earth except Noah's immediate family, all eight of them.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Picture Book-Religious Picture Book
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book
Audience: Ages K-3rd grade

A. I know that this is a religious picture book because it is a retelling of the story Noah's ark that is in the Bible. It is picture book with very few sentences on each page.
B. In this book, Jerry Pinkney was able to use very fine lines so that he is able to put a lot of detail into his work. The ark, the people, the animals, and the landscape look very detailed and sharp because of the lines, even though he used watercolor to paint over the lines.
C. If I was working in children's ministry or at a private Christian elementary school I would probably use this book to teach over Noah's ark. This story is very similar to the biblical story of Noah's ark. I would read this book to the whole class and then I would put it into my library for the students to look at.
D. Question: How many of each animal did Noah bring on the ark? Answer: Two of each animal

[Emma Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. No Awards
2. 1st and 2nd graders
3. This book tells the story of Noah's ark. Noah and his family had to build an ark and take each animal and put it on the ark when God flooded the Earth. After the flood, Noah and his family had to take care of the Earth under God's terms in which he promised to never flood the Earth again.
4. I liked this book, but I do not think it will be appropriate for a public school setting. The book did simplify the story of Noah in order for it to be age appropriate which was beneficial. The illustrations were simply beautiful and eye-catching.
5. -Have the students draw their own ark and color in the animals that made it on the ark
-In groups have the students research the animals listed in the story and present their findings to the class

[Olivia Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book in particular. Noah's Ark is such a well known and important story and this book along with the illustrations are great for children and portray it so well. There aren't a ton of words in this book, which I think is great because words aren't really needed for something as extravagant as this. Looking at the beautiful illustrations really puts you in awe and makes you want to keep flipping pages. Children will love looking at this book!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

October 2017 - used in Sunday School. While I love Noah's Ark, this one has more narrative and works better as a group read-aloud, plus bigger pictures, making it better for introducing the story to a preschool audience. Fabulous endpapers, and I liked that it really covered the theological stuff without getting too dark at the beginning.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly straight telling of the Noah's Ark story. Illustrations are detailed, realistic, and pretty-looking. Fair bit of words, recommend for read-aloud for students pre-school to 2nd or 3rd, above that should be able to read on own.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite illustrations! Simple, yet engaging text. This book is a treasure!

I was surprised by the opening pages (before the title). I was like, wait!, this isn't about the Creation!

We just loved this book. If I were still buying children's picture books, this would go in my collection.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations that re-tell this story.

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is so beautifully illustrated. The text is perfect to go along with the pictures too. Jerry Pinkney does nice work retelling this Bible story.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art and the story wasn't too long (although a bit long for a baby).

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were the best part. Whimsical yet realistic. I enjoy the muted palette with pops of color here and there. The whales were by far my favorite.

[Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know the story, but the illustrations make this a remarkable book.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

With easy to read and understand narrative text and gorgeous illustrations, this is a wonderful telling of the Old Testament story of Noah and the flood.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book at my daughter's to read to my young granddaughter.

It was a nice easy read with lovely illustrations that tell the story of Noah and the Ark.

I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully imagined, with grave, spare writing and Pinkney's fabulous watercolors.

[Victoria Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, to accompany the beloved biblical story.

[Grace Breaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about how God wasn’t pleased with the people of the earth and decided to sweep them away. The people didn’t love the earth, him, or others the way that they should. However, Noah did what was right according to God and God spoke to him. God told him to make an ark out of cypress wood because he is going to flood the earth. He orders him to bring two of each living creature of opposite gender and bring food for them and himself. He promises him that him and his family will be safe and all of the animals he brings as well. The family built the ark, they also made and gathered much food. Everyone came to observe the ship and spoke of how foolish it was of them to build a ship on dry land and how the ocean is miles away. No one trusted in God and the clouds begin to shadow the earth. God called to all of the animals to come and they followed Noah into the ark, God closed the doors behind them. The rain began to fall, all the waters of the world began to overflow. The water covered the earth and all the cities. After 40 days and 40 nights the rain stopped falling and the sun began to shine through. God sent a wind over the earth and the water slowly started to go down. The ark layed itself on top of the highest mountain with water still all around. Noah sent a raven to find dry land but it didn’t. Then Noah sent a dove but it didn’t find any either. However, Noah had faith in God and sent the dove once again, it came back with an olive branch in its beak, there was dry land! The waters slowly started to go away and the land began to show and dry. Finally, the animals and Noah and his family finally got to leave the ark. Noah and his family planted seeds for the first harvest and sent a rainbow from the heavens to promise to never flood the earth again to Noah’s family and every living thing. The theme of this story is to show where trust in God gets you, what your sins can result in. If you live by God he’ll take care of you. The author uses literary elements of references, vivid phrases, and showing a story about the world. This book builds background knowledge about the events of Noah’s Ark and the Christian faith.

The book cover is greatly detailed and attracts attention! There are hundreds of animals, a large ship in the back, and a man shown amongst the animals getting along with them. The same artist illustrates the book cover and the book and they also wrote it. I believe the medium used in this book is colored pencil or pastel. I’d say that the illustrations and the text are greatly woven together, complimenting each other. However, the illustrations can give much more detail than the text gives at times! The natural colors of the earth, world we know, and the creatures in it are shown. The time and situation is depicted greatly through the illustrations, as well as the emotion of the situation and the people. The pictures cover the whole page. I absolutely love this book and the story behind it, it’s a must read!

[Erin Sturtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite stories! Noah’s Ark, by Jerry Pinkney, tells the beautiful story of a man named Noah, who has been warned by God that he is going to create a flood on earth and swallow every living thing. God instructs Noah to bring himself and two of every creature to the ark, where he promises they will all be safe. Noah and his family work on building the ark, and they fill it with baskets of food for the living things. All of the animals come to the ark, two by two. Then, for 40 days and 40 nights, rain pours, and everyone inside the ark remains safe. Shortly after, the waters go back down, and dry land is found. The animals return back home, and God promises Noah he will never send another flood upon the earth. In the end, Noah and his family plant seeds for the next harvest, and the earth prospers once again. The illustrations in this story are magnificent. They are beautiful, emotional, realistic, rich in detail, and take up the entire page. The illustrations appear to be made with watercolor, and they are full of light and dark hues of dozens of colors. The words are small on the page compared to the illustrations, so the enlarged illustrations do an incredible job of telling the story. I especially love the cover and end pages of this book. I would recommend this story for ages 5-8. This is a story that all kids should be familiar with!