''Noah's Ark'' is a children's

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...

written and illustrated by Peter Spier, first published by Doubleday in 1977. The text includes Spier's

translation Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

of "The Flood" by Jacobus Revius, a 17th-century poem telling the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

story of

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

. According to '' Kirkus Reviews'', the poem comprises sixty three-syllable lines such as "Pair by pair" (in translation). "Without revising or even enlarging on the old story, Spier fills it in, delightfully.""Noah's Ark (Book) by Peter Spier, Jacob Revius"
Google product presentation with quotation from ''Kirkus Reviews''. Retrieved 2012-02-22. In a retrospective essay about the

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Servic ...

-winning books from 1976 to 1985, Barbara Bader described the book as "at once elaborate and feeble" and Revius' poem as "neither particularly suited to children nor eloquent in itself." For ''Noah's Ark'' Spier won the 1978

for illustration"Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 - Present"
American Library Association. Retrieved 2009-05-27. and the 1982 National Book Award for Children's Books in category Picture Books (paperback)."National Book Awards – 1982"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...

. Retrieved 2012-02-22. Picture books were separately recognized for only two years in National Book Awards history, paperbacks for four years. Most of the paperback award-winners were reprints.

Notes

References

American children's books American picture books Caldecott Medal–winning works National Book Award for Young People's Literature winning works 1977 children's books Doubleday (publisher) books Noah's Ark in fiction Children's books about cattle Children's books about dogs Children's books about elephants Children's books about lions Children's books about horses Children's books about pigs {{child-picture-book-stub