said Noah to the creatures in
the garden. And he went to
fetch his wagon.
Noah's father began to board
up the windows. Noah set to
work with his own tools.
And, while a grasshopper
looked on knowingly ... "
Noah loves animals, and he knows a storm is coming. While his dad is preparing their house for the wind and rain, Noah decides he must do what he can to provide for the denizens of the backyard. The salamanders, beetles, mice and ants seem to know something is amiss as they are already hunkering down to get out of the storm's path. The first thing he gets is his old wagon. Removing its wheels, and adding wooden sides and a roof, he fashions an ark to protect his animal friends.
His ark complete, he makes a visit to the kitchen where his mom and sister are filling the cupboards with provisions and bottles of water. Outside again, Noah gathers food for the ark - 'fists of brown nuts, spears of grass, berries, and seeds'. Noah continues to follow the lead of his parents, working until his mother calls him inside. Before he goes, he watches as all the creatures move toward the shelter he had built for them.
"Noah hurried into the house to watch and wait. Suddenly the sun snapped
off its light. A curtain of darkness drew across the sky."
What a storm it is! Four days and nights it rages. Will the creatures in the ark survive as Noah's family does?
John Rocco's impressive artwork is filled with all that young readers need to know as this book is read to them. The colors are bold, the expressive faces of both family and animals are impressive and the design is pure delight. Perspectives change, as does the variety in the way the preparations are shown. Once the storm begins, the artist uses his spreads to show what it happening for the family on the verso with what is happening in the ark on the recto. Lovely!
When the storm abates and the sun comes out, every character is safe and can return to their daily adventures.
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