Old MacNoah Had an Ark

Old MacNoah Had an Ark, written by popular Christian children's book author Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jill Newton, puts a biblical twist on the traditional children's song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

Each page of this book is filled with vivid, whimsical art sure to capture any young child's imagination. And the text, which may be sung or read, will be familiar and fun. The author begins:

"Old MacNoah built an ark, Ee-i-ee-i-o.
And for that ark he got some wood. Ee-i-ee-i-o.
With a BANG! BANG! here
And a BANG! BANG! there..."

and so on. Next, we read that MacNoah brought cows on board (appropriate mooing ensues), followed by ducks ("Quack! Quack!") and pigs ("Oink! Oink!"). Then "on that ark they had some rain;" the animals have lunch, and lots of slurping and burping follows. "And on that ark it got quite smelly" (..."With a "Poo! Poo! here and a Poo! Poo! there..."). The ark lurches in the rough waters, making the animals say "oopsie-daisy!" Finally, they see dry land and cry "Ya-hoo!...And no more ark now, here's the end," followed by all the sounds that have already been covered.

What I Like: Young children will definitely find this book fun (potty humor included), and if they think it's fun, they are far more likely to be interested in the full story of Noah and the ark.

What I Dislike: I have mixed feelings about Christians changing traditional rhymes and songs. This method can be useful, but I hate to see it over-used.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but toddlers will love this book, too.

Publishing Info: Harper Blessings, 2008; ISBN: 006055717; hardback, $16.99.

Buy Now at Christianbook.com for $12.99.

Or buy at Amazon.com for $13.25

Special Info: You may wish to visit the author's or the illustrator's website. Also, check out our other reviews of books by Sally Lloyd-Jones.