Whitney Stows Away on Noah's Ark and learns how to deal with peer pressure

Whitney Stows Away on Noah's Ark and learns how to deal with peer pressure is written by Therese Johnson Borchard and illustrated by Wendy VanNest. This book is a part of the Emerald Bible collection.

I've never read any of the other books in this collection, but the Prologue nicely explains what has happened in Whitney's life before the book begins. Whitney is in fifth grade, and she has recently moved from Michigan to Illinois. She has also just dealt with the death of her beloved Nana, whom she was very close to. Before Nana died, she left Whitney her very special Emerald Bible. This Bible allows Whitney to experience Bible stories firsthand.

Whitney succumbs to the peer pressure of her classmates in making fun of Pat Chan, a student who is very conscientious about his note taking in class. Although she feels a twinge of guilt when she joins in, she doesn't want to publicly take a stand in defense of Pat. Worse yet, her own notes are barely legible, and she could really use Pat's help. She realizes a little too late that she should have stuck up for Pat when she knew it was the right thing to do.

Turning to Nana's Bible, Whitney travels back in time and gets to meet Noah. She hears Noah being ridiculed and misunderstood by those around him. She even gets to board the ark with Noah, his family and the animals. She realizes that it is hurtful to be the subject of ridicule.

When Whitney travels back to present day through Nana's Bible, she does the right thing and calls Pat to apologize for not standing up for him and for what was right. He surprises her by offering to share his notes with her and help her study.

What I Like: This is a really imaginative way to tell a Bible story. I like Whitney's point of view, and the lessons she learns throughout the story are brought out clearly. The drawings rendered by Wendy VanNest add a lot of interest to the story. There are just so many books about Noah's Ark that it was so nice to read one that approached the story from a different angle.

What I Dislike: There isn't too much to dislike about this sweet book, but I must confess that I am bothered by the concept of a "magical" Bible.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: Paulist Press, 2000; ISBN:0809166747 ; Paperback, 77 pages; $5.95.

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Special Info: We've reviewed other books in the Emerald Bible series. You can read those reviews here.