cover image Noah and the Ark

Noah and the Ark

Pauline Baynes. Henry Holt & Company, $15 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8050-0886-9

Baynes gives this Biblical story renewed vigor with her interpretation of the action. While animals rush to the last hilltops, others drown; tiny nude figures, rhinos, elephants, pigs and bears all sink under the rising waters, as only the ark's passengers (plus a few exempt whales) survive the flood. In the end, as the waters recede, ``The Lord said in his heart, `I will never again curse the ground because of man . . . the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.' '' Baynes's illustrations accentuate the overall sense of promise; while many versions of this story evade this point, her treatment enhances it. All ages. (September)