Noah Makes a Boat by Pippa Goodhart, Bernard Lodge (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

It's going to rain, and God tells Noah that he must make a boat to keep the animals safe. But Noah doesn't know how to make a boat. Only with the help of his grandson, Little Noah, is he able to figure it out. By the time the rains begin to fall, Noah and Little Noah have made the world's greatest vessel and filled it with two of every kind of animal. Children will revel in the fact that Little Noah, not the adult, is the one who solves the problem. This is a wonderfully inventive retelling of one of the oldest stories in the world, complete with Bernard Lodge's distinctive lino-cut illustrations.

Publishers Weekly

This British import, a secular humanist version of the Flood, puts an inventive spin on the familiar biblical tale. In Goodhart (Row, Row, Row Your Boat) and Lodge's (Tanglebird) version, Noah wears overalls and has a grandson named Little Noah. Omitting any reference as to why the famous boat needed to be built in the first place, the story focuses on the boy and Noah as they design and construct the ark. When God gives the order to build without explaining how ("Work it out," says He, with Old Testament imperiousness), Noah reports back to Little Noah, who takes charge and suggests that his grandpa turn to nature for inspiration. Noah hits on a fish as the model for the boat, then suggests they carve it from a tree trunkit's Little Noah who points out, "But that wouldn't be big enough for all the animals." Goodhart's matter-of-fact style ("Mrs. Noah hung out her washing and a rainbow hung in an arc over the boat. It was beautiful") allows Lodge free reign for his full-bleed spreads of animals running rampant in pairs as they ready themselves for the ark-bound parade. His spare opening scene of Noah and God's tte--tte against a stormy gray background is a dramatic contrast to those that follow, populated by animals and saturated in festive greens, reds, yellows and blues. The bright, dense colors enhance the sturdy black lino-cut outlines, and endow each spread with graphic impact. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Children's Literature

In this creative retelling of the classic Bible story Noah's Ark, Noah is ably assisted by his grandson Little Noah. Together they design and build the perfect ark for God's plan. The beauty of this story is that they build the ark based on clues observed in nature. For example, Noah and Little Noah swim underwater to look at the underside of ducks to determine the shape their boat needs to have in order to float. This humorous approach to a timeless story will appeal to children and their parents alike. In this version, Little Noah plays a prominent role in fulfilling God's command to save the world's animals from the coming flood. Mrs. Noah has an important supportive role in accomplishing God's mission. The lino cut illustrations perfectly match the text. They are colorful and somewhat whimsical.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1Noah's grandson helps him figure out how to construct a boat large enough to hold all the pairs of animals plus required food for an extended voyage. Noah's wife assists them in constructing the ark and collecting the animals. Then she and Little Noah entertain the creatures while Noah sleeps for 40 days and nights. Lodge's illustrations have a folk-art quality. White-haired Noah wears overalls. Mrs. Noah's white apron matches her dress cuffs and collar. The red ark with its yellow shutters calls to mind a well-tended barn. The book is a pleasant but unexceptional entry among the numerous retellings of Noah's familiar story.Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN

Kirkus Reviews

Another attempt at the oft-told story of Noah's Ark. This handsomely designed lino-cut version, reminiscent of the early woodcuts of Blair Lent, sports a modern-day Grandfather Noah—sort of a cross between Santa and Father Time. Alongside Noah is someone new to the old story, his grandson, Little Noah. This version emphasizes the step-by-step process of building a boat; human ingenuity is emphasized for all God will say is for Noah to "work it out" without divine plans or intervention. Little Noah comes up with the boat's shape and makeup, Noah with the boat's structure, and Mrs. Noah gets in on the act with a bit of cross-cut sawing and raising of planks. God provides Noah with a bit of shut-eye, while Mrs. Noah and Little Noah play "I Spy" aboard the ark.

The biblical wickedness and consequent destruction and purging of the earth is omitted in this nearly secular account, leaving the tale without a context, yet replacing it with a folksy fable filled with levity rather than a moral. Diverting.

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