Nora’s Ark–a Review by Carol Green

Nora’s Ark was written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Nora Hilb. It was published by Zonderkidz (2013).

Spinelli gives an unusual twist to the traditional Noah’s ark story. She begins with a little girl, Nora, building her own ark out of planks, chairs and boxes because the weather man has predicted rain. The catchy phrase, “…just like Noah. Well…not just like Noah,” is threaded throughout the story. Nora does call the animals two by two, but they are two spiders, two stuffed monkeys, two goldfish and the two family cats who soon hurry off. The next page pictures Nora in her imagination, waiting under her umbrella with real animals like they would have been on the real ark.  Another of  the story’s humorous touches shows us Nora eating a bag of pretzels and painting her toe nails, again reminding us that Nora’s story is not quite like the Noah story. When it is dinner time a big rainbow appears.

Children will delight in the imagination of Nora’s Ark but it will be up to the parent to share the true Bible story of God calling Noah to build an ark and God’s promise of a rainbow. What fun it would be to make this a family night acting out Noah’s story with chairs, animals, the pounding of rain, and finally God’s rainbow.

Carol Green, a graduate of Northwestern, is the mother of three adult children. Her five grandchildren affectionately call her “Grams cracker.” She is the published author of many poems for both adults and children; three coloring books: God Gave Me Five, ABC Fun Book, and Color God’s World Bright; and the picture book: My Mom Loves Me.