Review by Booklist Review
Young Noah spies a big storm coming. Dad boards up the windows of their urban house, while Noah fashions an ark (from his wagon and some boards) to shelter the back yard fauna. Inside Mom prepares food, water, and candles; outside Noah gathers nuts, berries, and a flashlight for his crew. The animals arrive (two by two, of course), and the family retreats to their house to wait out the deluge. The humans play games, tell stories, and rest, while the ark residents cluster, nibble, and sleep. Finally, the downpour subsides, the animals leave their shelter, and all is right again. Banks' contemporary adaptation of this biblical text gets to the essence of the story (protecting lives) without directly mentioning religion. Rocco's digitally enhanced pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are realistically rendered, appropriate to the story's style, and feature rich earth tones. Most effective are the paired illustrations contrasting human and animal storm activities, including one scene in which the ark floats. A reassuring look at riding out the intense storms that seem to occur with increasing frequency.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Banks (Pup and Bear) sets her retelling of the biblical story of Noah's ark in a garden behind a block of brick homes and casts a brownskinned boy in the ark builder's role. When Noah's father starts boarding up windows ahead of a powerful storm ("It's going to be a beauty," he says), Noah prepares, too, removing the wheels from his red wagon, attaching walls and a roof, and setting food inside. "Come," he whispers to the garden creatures-salamanders, spiders, toads, snakes, and more-inviting them to take shelter where it's safe. Rocco (Big Machines: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton) paints Noah's family waiting out the storm on the lefthand pages, while the animals are seen in striking closeups on the right, gathered around the table in expectant silence, sharing the food Noah has left, then resting peacefully. At the storm's end, a rainbow arcs over Noah's backyard. "Hallelujah," Noah's father says. Those familiar with the original story will enjoy finding the parallels and omissions in Banks's retelling; newcomers will find a satisfying tale about noticing and caring for wildlife, enhanced by Rocco's naturalistic, detailed spreads. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-When young Noah notices a large storm heading his way, he begins to prepare an ark for the creatures of his backyard. While the storm rains down, Noah and his family stay safe inside their house, as the animals are nice and cozy in the ark. After four days, the storm passes, and the creatures come out of their shelter and bring life back into Noah's backyard. This is a refreshing new version of an old tale. Banks has created new twists and visuals in the familiar plot, making it simple to understand and intricate in previously unseen details. The pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations by Rocco assist in creating the world of Noah's backyard, bringing the importance of life to the forefront of the tale. Together, the text and images create a detailed tale of life and renewal that is fun to explore and contemplate. VERDICT A non-religious retelling of Noah's Ark that would be a lovely addition to most picture book shelves.-Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Noah's parents prepare for a four-day storm by filling water jugs and boarding up their city home's windows. Meanwhile, Noah turns his red wagon into an ark for the creatures living in the yard, including salamanders, toads, mice, and hummingbirds. The magical realism in Rocco's illustrations offers readers a satisfying fantasy as Banks presents a new way to think about an old biblical story. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Noah receives a lesson on surviving storms from his family and uses it to give safe passage to the denizens of the family's backyard. Salamanders, toads, snakes, hummingbirds, butterflies, field mice, and grasshoppers can all be found in little Noah's backyard garden. Noah spies the dark clouds hovering over the cityscape as his father declares, "It's going to be a beauty." Rather than depict heavy rainstorms as ominous and menacing, Banks and Rocco instead instill the message that the proper preparations can ensure a family's safety. That logic extends to the backyard. As Noah's father boards up the windows of their row house, Noah capably repurposes his broken-down wagon into an ark. As Noah's mother and sister stack groceries and fill water jugs, Noah prepares food for the ark's creatures. When the rain finally arrives, the family is soothed enough to enjoy board games and share stories by candlelight. Inside the ark, the creatures imaginatively begin to take advantage of one another's intimate company as well. When the storm finally settles, the creatures exit, two by two of course, back to the tiny, thriving ecosystem of the family's fenced-in slice of earth. Rocco's meticulous paintings depict a brown-skinned family carefully preparing for the weather; the animals are not directly anthropomorphized, but compositions give a cozy sense of community.Bringing the beauty of and responsibility for nature to the city, this will win over readers with its parallel storytelling and appreciation for human- and nonhumankind alike. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
