Goodnight, Ark

August 4, 2014
Sassi's debut offers a fun twist to the oft-told story of Noah's ark. After boarding the ark, the animals, frightened by the storm, clamber two by two into Noah's bed. Short, dramatic rhymes full of onomatopoeic words and ellipses build suspense: "Crash! Boom! Rumble! Thunder quakes./ Wakes the... ELEPHANTS AND SNAKES!/ Thump, stomp, slither, up they scurry./ Curl by Noah in a hurry." With animals all piled in one room, the ark tips, and Noah's bed breaks, terrifying the skunks with humorously stinky repercussions. From this chaotic apex, Noah restores calm: "Softly, Noah starts to croon/ a soothing, sleepy nighttime tune." Chapman's (Bear Snores On) paintings in hues of brown, orange, and blue capture the story's manic energy and playful tone. A scene of Noah snoozing soundly while boars burrow under his red patchwork quilt, quail fly, sheep leap around the room, lightning zigzags outside his window, and the skunks sleep peacefully under his bed creates anticipation of the frenzied drama to unfold. A fresh addition to the crowded shelf of Noah's ark books. Ages 4â8.

June 15, 2014
Noah packs up an ark full of critters and heads out to sea in a gale in this rollicking, rhymed version of the Old Testament story.The short text comprises one quatrain per page, with just a few words per line. The verses describe different animals and the sounds of the thunderstorm, with lots of onomatopoeia ("Crash! Boom! Rumble!") and evocative language detailing the animal antics ("Thump, stomp, slither, / up they scurry"). The frightened animals pile into Noah's bed two by two as the storm increases in intensity, with an action-filled climax involving a listing ship, a broken bed and a pair of stinky skunks. Noah calms all the creatures with soothing lullabies, and peace prevails as the animals bed down at last. Chapman's appealing illustrations make the most of the humorously crowded conditions on the ark, with expressive elephants, slithering snakes and leaping tigers. Noah's wife is nowhere to be seen in this interpretation, an unfortunate omission when all the other inhabitants of the ark are shown in pairs. There is no real religious content in the story beyond the basic premise, making this more of a humorous introduction to rather than a retelling of the Bible story.A breezy text kept afloat by the buoyant illustrations-if only Mrs. Noah had been invited along for the ride as well. (Picture book/religion. 2-7)

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September 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-After the animals board the ark and find sleeping spots, Noah heads off for a well-deserved rest. Unfortunately, the sounds of rain, hail, lightning, and thunder wake the animals who soon seek refuge-two by two-in Noah's bed. The patriarch doesn't wake until the tipping ark startles the skunks, which release noxious fumes. After the excitement, Noah croons a sleepy tune to lull the restless passengers to sleep. Sassi's bouncy verse incorporates lots of onomatopoeia for the sounds of weather and animals. The quail "Squee! Squee! Squawk!" while hail "pops" and "pings." Minimal text per page allows Chapman plenty of space to showcase the animals' movements. Sleepy skunks under Noah's bed appear harmless until the collapse. Listeners will enjoy following the pairs from one illustration to the next. Despite the storm, the tone is reassuring, not frightening, making the book an obvious bedtime choice. Worthwhile companion titles include Susan Campbell Bartoletti's soothing Naamah and the Ark at Night (Candlewick, 2011) and Sandra Boynton's busy Going to Bed Book (Little Simon, 1982).-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Preschool-G Two by two, the animals on Noah's ark get ready for bed as thunder sounds: Crash! Boom! Rumble! As the storm outside rages on, the frightened beasts join Noah in his bed. It's hard enough when two boars, two tigers, and two elephants try to squeeze in, but things get a whole lot worse when the commotion scares the skunks. But then, Noah starts to croon a soothing, sleepy nighttime tune. And back to sleep everyone goes. This humorous offering serves as a delightful and amusing bedtime story. Chapman's richly colored, expressive acrylic illustrations include some amusing details for older kids (and adults), such as canned cat food (for the tigers) and an umbrella hanging on the wall of the ark. Rhyming text and liberal use of onomatopoeia will make this fun to read aloud. Young children will relate to the animals' terror during a nighttime storm, while adults will easily recognize the common scenario of sharing their beds with frightened little ones.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)