The Animals' Ark

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. (Apr.)

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