The Animals' Ark

January 25, 2016
Though Dubuc’s (The Lion and the Bird) softly colored pencil drawings don’t seem momentous, this is a noteworthy project. It’s the Noah and the Ark envisioned as a strictly meteorological event, leaving out all divine intervention. The weather turns rainy, the animals realize it’s quite wet, and a nice man in a boat comes along just in time. Most of the story is taken up with tense moments in close quarters (“The goldfish didn’t quite know what to do with himself... and the cat was feeling peckish,” Dubuc writes, as a striped cat looks hungrily at the fish in the bowl on the facing page) and the way the animals’ characteristics color the journey. “The hedgehogs were a thorn in others’ hides,” she writes as a lion with quills in its backside stares irately at a pair of hedgehogs. Adult readers may react with dismay as the Old Testament deity is erased from the tale—or with relief that they aren’t forced to explain a vengeful God. Either way, the rainbow and a sense of gratitude (“Goodbye and thank you, Mr. Noah!”) still crown the journey’s end. Ages 3–7.

February 15, 2016
Mr. Noah uses his boat to rescue an assembly of animals stranded on an island by floodwaters. In this loose interpretation of the Old Testament story of Noah and the Ark, there is no mention of God, though the basic elements of the biblical story are all there. The creatures live in the "animal kingdom," and Noah apparently just happens to arrive with his boat in time to save the group. Only a few animals are stuck on the island at the beginning, but this cluster inexplicably expands with the turn of a page. The animals board the boat in traditional two-by-two fashion, and they frolic and play as the rainstorm continues. When land is finally sighted, Mr. Noah drops the animals off at their new home and sails away. Featuring a naive style and copious white backgrounds, soft-focus colored-pencil illustrations portray comical creatures and appealing animal antics. Sharp-eyed children will notice some logical discrepancies in a story that is based on pairs of animals, as there seems to be only one cat (and several other animals are mentioned only in the singular), and Mr. Noah appears to be missing the companionship of Mrs. Noah. By changing Noah's role in the story, the reworked plot loses the religious background of the tale without improving on the traditional storyline. In this interpretation, Noah is just a "kindly" boat captain, and the flood is just another major weather event. Sail past this one. (Picture book. 2-5)

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Starred review from March 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-A little rain never hurt anyone, until a little rain turns into a lot of rain, and a lot of rain turns into a flood. Stranded animals despair before they spy an odd sea creature in the distance. A whale? An octopus? No-it's a kind man with a boat. And not just any boat, an ark! This familiar biblical story takes a secular twist as the animals board in pairs and find creative and playful ways to pass the time together. Ladybugs become dominos, elephant trunks become swings, and everyone avoids sitting too closely to the thorny hedgehogs. Dubuc's simple but expressive colored pencils create an imaginative and water-filled world. The brief sentences and text will appeal to early readers, who will also enjoy decoding words and phrases from the amusing and lively illustrations. VERDICT This take on Noah's ark will be an excellent addition to any collection for emerging readers.-Maria Alegre, The Dalton School, New York City

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Preschool-K What did the animals do for all those days on Noah's ark? In delightful words and pictures, Dubuc provides a full report. Some (the chameleons) play hide-and-seek, while others (the ladybugs) are intrigued by dominoes. The childlike pencil-crayon illustrations add a simplicity and lightness to the story, which encourages a feeling of well-being despite the biblical storm (and some seasickness). Most animals tend to do what comes naturallybirds build nests in a sheep's wool, snails leave a maze trail, zebras count stripes, and a cat sharpens her claws on other animals. The language is equally appealing, from the onomatopoeic pip-pops of falling rain to the hurly-burly early days and the description of a peckish cat. Although some viewers may wonder why a few animals are seen only singularly instead of in the expected pair, this book will charm all. Pair with Peter Spier's Noah's Ark (1977) for a busier but equally engaging experience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Dubuc gives us the Noah's Ark story from the animals' perspective--and for very young children. Without feeling oppressive or claustrophobic, the book manages to reflect the frustration of being cooped up during a rainy spell because the pencil-crayon illustrations, on clean, small-trim pages, are so uncluttered and the animals are so cuddly-looking. There's humor along with moments of loveliness.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2016
Dubuc (Animal Masquerade, rev. 5/12; The Lion and the Bird, rev. 9/14) gives us the Noah's Ark story from the animals' perspective -- and for very young children. "Pip! Pop!" First it starts to rain. Then it begins to pour. A representative sampling of creatures sits perched on a tiny island: "There was so much water everywhere, the animals didn't know where to seek shelter." Enter Noah, who floats up on his ark and lowers the gangplank (and now we see our two-by-twos). Things are crowded onboard, and a few of the creatures are "terribly bored," but most everyone settles in. They pass the time by playing games and helping one another. Still the rain is falling, as Dubuc's well-paced text reminds listeners, and then a storm hits, adding some drama. The storm passes, but spirits are low; a dove, fed up with the squabbling, has flown off to find land -- and the rest is biblical history. The book manages to reflect the frustration of being cooped up during a rainy spell without feeling oppressive or claustrophobic because the pencil-crayon illustrations, on clean, white pages in a small trim size, are so uncluttered and the animals are so cuddly-looking; everyone's cheeks remain rosy throughout. There's humor ("the hedgehogs were a thorn in others' hides," pictured next to a perturbed lion pulling quills from its backside) along with moments of loveliness: "Still the rain fell day and night," says the text, but in the moonlit illustration we see the sky beginning to clear. elissa gershowitz

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)