The Little Ark

by Jan de Hartog

To millions of Dutch people the floods of 1953 were an occasion of tragedy and heroism. The Jan brink and his sister adinda, the small-sized hero and heroine of this story, the floods brought a magnificent adventure. They shared it with their friends, busy, a pup, Ko, a white rabbit, and Noisette, a kitten who was more adult than anyone suspected, and prince, a tyrannical cock. This is a hard crew to keep together in a flood, but it was managed with the help of the toughest sailors afloat, and unlikely collection of civilian rescue volunteers who hung grimly to their personal prides and jealousies through everything. When the waters have at last receded from the steeples and treetops, Jan and adinda have seen the raw edges of many different men and women, one another, and a series of comic, inspiring and breath-taking events.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Jan de Hartog (1914 – 2002) was a Dutch playwright, novelist and occasional social critic who moved to the United States in the early 1960s and became a Quaker. From then on he wrote in English.
At the beginning of his career he wrote five detective novels about the adventures of Commissioner Wiebe Poesiat and inspector Gregor Boyarski at the metropolitan harbor police under the pseudonym F.R. Eckmar

Johannes (Jan) de Hartog was een Nederlandse schrijver van romans, toneelstukken en filmscenario's, vooral gekend om zijn romans over de scheepvaart.
In het begin van zijn carrière schreef hij, onder het pseudoniem F.R. Eckmar, ook een vijftal detectieveromans over de avonturen van commissaris Wiebe Poesiat en inspecteur Gregor Boyarski bij de hoofdstedelijke havenpolitie.

Reviews

[Denise]

Enlightening to learn about the great flood. I didn't enjoy the book. It does show some good human traits but overall, the story is quite sad. I can't figure out if this story of two children is for children or for adults. The children are saved and they have some animal companions but this isn't a typical adventure that one would find in children's fiction. The setting is bleak.

[Charlotte]

This is a story about two Dutch kids surviving the devastating flooding of 1953 thanks to being up in the belfry of their village church. But it is not a "plucky kids persevere in the face of tragedy" sort of children's story; instead, it is a book for adults with greater tolerance for hideous, sordid, grimness than I have. And a lot of this doesn't help what plot there is along, it just is misery.

[Lynn Pribus]

I am a devoted fan of the now-departed DeHartog. Since I'm 2nd generation Dutch, perhaps we are kin somewhere in the past.

As I recall this book, which I read many years ago, it is about a couple Dutch children who are marooned in a house swept away by a terrible flood -- called den Ramp, I think. My Dutch penpal sent me a book in Dutch and English about the flood.

The Little Ark does have a happy ending, I'm quite sure.

[Linda]

A very odd little book. Hard to say whether I liked it or hated it, but it was certainly interesting.

[Bruce Auerbach]

Wonderful.

I first red this at age 13 although all I remeber was the title and gist and descriptions of drowned cows floating with bloated bellies.

Of course I read the english translation.

The story was entertaing, educational and, intermittently funny.

Also enjoy the feel and looks of these fairly old used books which are, excluding shipping quite inexpensive.

I just finished another of de Hartogs books, the Distant Shore and enjoyed it even more- I'm browsing goodreaads to find another

[Aaron Barker]

The adventure of the book was interesting but I'm not sure what the lesson was meant to be. At the end, life begins to return to normal so it may be related to the resilience of the human spirit. If that is the case, it's a bit of an abrupt wrap-up. Worth reading due to its short length but by no means essential.

[Laura]

Oh boy, is it ever different reading this book as an adult some 45 years after reading it as a young preteen. Definately wouldnt be recommended reading for a youngster. Antiquated beliefs for example. I am glad to have reread it. I researched that terrible flood, its must have been horrible for the people.

[Dianeh]

This the story of a family during the flood in Holland of 1953. It primarily tells what the two children experience. While there are details of the horror of the flood, there are humorous verbal exchanges that lighten the sadness. The inclusion of the children’s animals, also, makes it easier to read. I felt it is a compelling story.

[Elaine de Jong]

This little work of fiction is a story of hope and humour based on the real life North Sea flood of 1953. My dad still lived in the Netherlands at this time and remembers the flood as vividly as though it just happened. This book is all the more remarkable as it follows the fictional story of two very true-to-life children survivors.

[Julie Berst]

There was no plot, really. It was just the story of the devastating hurricane in Holland, told from the viewpoint of 2 children. When they were confused, you were confused. But the story was well-written and peppered with amusing bits, which made it fun to read. I loved what happens to Prince, the devil-chicken, at the very end of the book.

[Andreas Rütten]

Auf deutsch gelesen "Die kleine Arche"

Ein ganz großartiges Buch. Leider auf deutsch nicht mehr erhältich. Also nur antiquarisch oder evtl. in Bibliotheken

[Kelly]

To millions of Dutch people the floods of 1953 were an occasion of tragedy and heroism. The Jan brink and his sister adinda, the small-sized hero and heroine of this story, the floods brought a magnificent adventure. They shared it with their friends, busy, a pup, Ko, a white rabbit, and Noisette, a kitten who was more adult than anyone suspected, and prince, a tyrannical cock. This is a hard crew to keep together in a flood, but it was managed with the help of the toughest sailors afloat, and unlikely collection of civilian rescue volunteers who hung grimly to their personal prides and jealousies through everything. When the waters have at last receded from the steeples and treetops, Jan and adinda have seen the raw edges of many different men and women, one another, and a series of comic, inspiring and breath-taking events.

[Willem]

An old favorite.

[Lois Hecksel]

An old favorite about the Great Flood in Holland (Netherlands).