The Ark

by Arthur Geisert

If Noah had been an artist, he might have left us these plans for the building of the ark. With panoramic elevations and gloriously detailed cross sections, we can see how every arrangement is made for the accommodation of the pairs of animals. As the sky darkens and the rains fall, Noah and his family are busied with the care and feeding of all their passengers.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Christian

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

Arthur Geisert grew up in Los Angeles, California, and claims not to have seen a pig until he was an adult. Trained as a sculptor in college, Geisert learned to etch at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. Geisert has published just about a book a year for the past thirty years. Every one of his books has been illustrated with etchings. His work has appeared in The New Yorker and The Horn Book Magazine. In 2010 his book Ice was selected as a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated book of the year. Geisert currently lives in a converted bank building in Bernard, Iowa.

Reviews

[Amy Moll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not many words, but the illustrations are enchanting! My son really loved this book, as did I. He was full of questions and observations as we slowly read through it.

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good picture book of the story of Noah's Ark, mostly because of the absolutely beautiful illustrations. They are etchings, and the amount of detail on them is really cool. The amount of work that went into each etching must have been massive! The written word is pretty minimal here, another aspect of this book that reminds me of the iconic Peter Speier picture book version! If you are a fan of Speier's this is definitely worth checking out, as long as you know beforehand that it is not in color. The black on light tan gives this book a timeless and immersive feeling.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pen-and-ink artwork is detailed and impressive.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The simple text is the perfect accompaniment to the beautiful, detailed drawings.

[Angie Head · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are magnificent! Close to the Biblical Account.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet little picture book for kids and adults! The drawings are amazing!

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geisert begins with a passage from scripture. He then shares the familiar story of Noah and the Ark with simple text for children to understand. The illustrations resemble pencil sketches.

I appreciated the connection to the book of Genesis but colored illustrations were greatly missed.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

liked it even more than the peter spier(?)

[Danette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning detailed drawings of the ark with great cut-aways of its interior.

[Larry Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A kids book, looking at the travails on the ark, illustrated with very nice woodcuts by the author.