The Book of Jonah

January 1, 2015

K-Gr 3-Last available in hardcover over 15 years ago, this beautifully retold Bible story is again available. Like his Caldecott-Medal winning Noah's Ark, Spier's The Book of Jonah features detailed line drawings with eye-catching watercolors. Jonah is a man on the run, afraid to fulfil the task God has set before him. With panels reminiscent of graphic novel-style storytelling, Jonah's tale unfolds with the requite drama and tension. Helpful information about the Assyrian Empire in the eighth century BC and a labeled drawing of the Ship of Tarshish are included in the back matter. A fantastic addition for Bible story collections.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 1985
Scholarship and artistic imagination inform the second work based on the Bible by the Caldecott Medalist. Like Spier's version of Noah's Ark, his story of disobedient Jonah retains the drama of the original, and the full-color pictures are wonderful, enhanced by details that mark them distinctively Spier's. Older boys and girls and adults will find the author's afterword additionally absorbing. He cites studies that place the story of Jonah between 400 b.c. and 200 b.c. by a writer aiming to prove that sincere repentance wins God's forgiveness. There is a history of Nineveh illustrated by maps showing ancient and modern areas, the latter pinpointing the city's ruins today. This is where God commanded Jonah to go and urge the citizens to reform, a duty he tried to escape by taking a ship to Tarshish, only to sink into the belly of the whale before getting a second chance to obey.