Noah and the Mighty Ark

Noah and the Mighty Ark is the popular Bible story told in rhyme by Rhonda Gowler Greene.
The author begins by saying God was looking for "one good man." (There is no mention that most people of this time were not good.) God finds Noah and tells him to build an ark and fill it with pairs of animals. Noah does just that, the door of the ark shuts, and a huge storm begins. Finally, the sun appears and the ark lands on Ararat. The animals leave the ark and God tells everyone to multiply. Finally:

"While in the sky,
a rainbow sign,
God's promise, still...
to all mankind."

The illustrations by Santiago Cohen are somewhat sketchy and primitive, but show a variety of scenes and fill in some details. For example, one illustration shows the dove bringing back an olive leaf, while this isn't clearly spelled out in the text.
What I Like: I really like that Greene has included some interesting details rarely used in children's versions of this Bible story. For example, she says Noah lined the ark with pitch so it would float, and she mentions the name of the mountain where the ark perched.
What I Dislike: Greene sometimes doesn't use complete sentences. Personally, I don't mind this if it's done occasionally, but it may bother other readers. Here's an example:

"He found Noah,
said to him,
'Build an ark
and room within.'"

Choen's illustrations are also a bit too primitive for my taste.

Overall Rating: Good.
Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but many toddlers will enjoy this book, too.
Publishing Info: Zondervan, 2007; ISBN: 0310710979; hard back, $9.99.
Buy Now at Christianbook.com for $7.99.
Or buy at Amazon.com for $9.99
Special Info: Take a peek at Santiago Cohen's style at his website. You may also wish to visit author Rhonda Gowler Geene's website. Also, see our reviews for some of this duo's other books: Jonah and the Great Big Fish and Zacchaeus and the Happy Day