PreS-Gr 3 —Caldecott Honoree Becker ( Journey ) reimagines Noah's tale as a robot in a post-apocalyptic world seemingly devoid of human life. NOA, a turbine-powered robot that dwarfs the animals he cares for, carefully separates the carnivorous tigers from the elephants, giraffes, and hippos as he feeds them each day. Flamingos fly and perch on the tender NOA, who returns to his shelter at night to build small boats. Becker's art is highly detailed, using watercolor defined by pen and ink that invite inquiry and discussion. NOA bears a dove decal, and the animals are surrounded by buildings with carved animal shapes, suggesting the area was once a zoo. When water rises, NOA builds a large ship for the animals and sets sail with a hope that is rewarded. Each small movement of NOA conveys emotion and the value of caring for our planet. NOA's loneliness, his horror over the rising water, his concern—all are palpable. Although the main story is wordless, this quotation by Jane Goodall appears before the title page: "Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, can we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved." There are beautiful applications for using this title in the classroom and library to jumpstart projects on conservation. Older readers will experience complex feelings watching NOA care for the world in a way so many humans do not. VERDICT A wordless picture book with so much to say, this is one for all children, and all collections.—Rachel Zuffa

Becker's (The Tree and the River, rev. 3/23) latest wordless fantasy takes readers to a post-apocalyptic future. Animals in a flooded zoo huddle on exposed bits of dry land; they are tended by an enormous yellow robot with wind turbines mounted on its back. Becker works in landscape orientation, with the robot's verticality dominating most compositions. Viewers get a sense of its scale by the relative smallness of the animals -- it can hold two pandas, an adult and a cub, in its palm. Becker gives readers no clues as to the nature of the calamity that has befallen this place beyond the endless water, the decay of the zoo buildings, and the utter absence of humans. But he does give them some semblance of hope. As the water rises, the robot fashions an ark of sorts. The animals file aboard, and they all set sail on a journey that gives Becker ample opportunity to explore the moods of his seascape. An encounter with another robot, this one blue and powered by solar panels, leads to sanctuary. Its hot air balloon accommodates both robots and all the animals, carrying them to an Edenic island, lush with vegetation and complete with waterfall and rainbow. Becker's characteristically virtuosic ink and watercolor paintings offer much for young readers to pore over and peer at, which may be enough for many. Others will find the story and the questions it poses lingering long after the book is closed.

This beguiling ark story, splendidly drafted in wordless spreads, stars a robot zookeeper who combines the spare-parts body of Wall-E with the gentle bearing of Amos McGee. The enormous robot dwarfs the toylike giraffes, pandas, tigers, and other charismatic megafauna that it cares for in a postapocalyptic landscape of half-submerged architectural gems, and it makes model sailboats after a long day of labor. When rain begins to fall and the sea rises further, the robot gathers the animals and executes a large-scale idea. Usable wreckage, the robot’s fascination with boatbuilding, and its own built-in tools produce a magnificent sloop capable of carrying the whole menagerie to safety—until a massive storm strikes at sea. While the place where the ship grounds is desolate, the unexpected appearance of a new friend changes everything. An epigraph from Jane Goodall makes the story’s conservation message clear, but Becker (The Tree and the River) avoids polemics in favor of worldbuilding that suggests the need for early action, underscores the power of practical measures, and holds out the promise of hope. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)