ALA Booklist (Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

There's no mention of a wrathful God in this beautifully illustrated retelling of the familiar story of the ark, which is related through the viewpoint of Noah's granddaughter. As the water rises, Noah and his family prepare while the animal pairs march aboard. The 40 days and nights in the ark are restless and crowded, but the girl tries to make everyone comfortable. Finally, she sends her dove in search of land, and a new world begins. The words are basic and effective; it's the detailed watercolors of the animals that are the real attraction here. In precise brushstrokes and vivid colors, Brett creates incredibly textured feathers and fur, and the appealing book design positions the images on backgrounds made to resemble papyrus scrolls. Very young children will want to point out their favorite animals in the parade; older ones who know the story may enjoy this kinder, secular version.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Noah's rosy-cheeked granddaughter succinctly narrates this adaptation of the familiar Bible story, focusing on her interaction with the animals as they board, crowd together, and then disembark to regenerate the earth. Brett's realistic watercolor and gouache illustrations capture the smallest details, and their borders, which resemble papyrus, both frame the story and balance the somber mood.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Bushels of interpretations of this Bible story exist, from humorous spins to wooden stylized images to an endangered animals slant, but Brett applies her familiar, appealing style and creates a child-friendly, beautifully crafted version. Told by the granddaughter of Noah, the girl brings her pet dove and keeps peace on the ark among the animals. Brett's signature framed and bordered scenes depict the multitude of creatures with sidebars of animal-shaped insets depicting close-ups of assorted animal behavior. Overflowing pages convey the sense of crowding as inventive perspectives capture animal traits. A trip to Africa inspired Brett to create the borders of papyrus paper. Only the flap copy identifies the gender of the child, who could be either boy or girl in the pictures. That aside, the voice of the granddaughter humanizes the story. Striking in its simplicity of telling, the watercolor and gouache artwork of birds, insects, and mammals breathes life into this apocryphal tale. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)</p>

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Brett (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Mitten), long celebrated for her lush depictions of animals in vibrant, often exotic settings, turns her focus to the popular Bible story—and omits the biblical framework. In a childlike, pleasingly spare text, Noah's grandchild describes some of the preparations made to protect her family and the world's animals from the impending rains. Soon, "The animals go in two by two./ Big animals thump and bump onto the ark..../ Small animals squeeze in." During the 40 days and 40 nights, "the ark rocks back and forth like a giant cradle," lulling its passengers to sleep; at last the vessel makes land, and "two by two the animals look for new homes." There's no mention of God or his relationship to Noah, nor any reason given for the Flood. The art, however, is characteristically striking. In her signature style, Brett depicts a story-within-the-story via smaller side panel artwork (she executes her work on papyrus, to recall the antiquity of the story). On each panel, a keyhole-like window in the shape of a different animal allows readers to view some of the action. In the main compositions, realistic-looking creatures of varying size and hue create a colorfully jumbled menagerie. While Brett leaves it to presiding adults to place the tale in its spiritual and/or storytelling context, her accomplished visuals should fully engage young readers. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Brett presents the biblical story from the perspective of Noah's granddaughter. The child watches the construction of the ark and the arrival of its passengers. Once they are on board and the rain falls, she untangles the crowded beasts so that they can all sleep peacefully. When the storm ends, Grandpa Noah releases her pet dove to search for land. After the creatures disembark, she helps him plant a seed to start life anew. This familiar story serves as a vehicle for Brett's watercolor-and-gouache panoramas of animals, birds, and insects from all corners of the Earth. Even the dodo appears. Each spread features a large scene surrounded by a papyrus border. Smaller pictures that relate to the central image are presented in animal-shaped frames to the left and right. Close-up views of insects appear near the corner of some pages and the dove also has a spot in many illustrations. Such details add to the book's interest for older children, who can find something new to explore during repeat readings. Brett's fans will recognize her artistic style, and where her work is popular, this book is a "must purchase." Other librarians may want to assess demand for Noah stories versus the number of titles in the collection, including Jerry Pinkney's Noah's Ark (North-South, 2002). If there is room for one more interpretation, this one is worth considering.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.