Children's Books about Noah’s Ark
The biblical story of Noah and the Flood has been adapted in numerous ways in children’s
books. Many use the story as a vehicle to teach about animals, either highlighting numbers
or the alphabet. Others emphasize that Noah was a good man, while those around him were
stealing and not doing what God had in mind for man. Still others focus on the rainbow as
God’s promise of not flooding the earth again. There are quite a few books that try to instill
“Christian values” by showing how Noah had incredible faith and listened to God. While the
story of Noah is not particularly Jewish, the weekly portion is usually read at the beginning
of the school year, and it is a good time to introduce counting, the alphabet, and animals.
The following books on the subject are appropriate for Jewish libraries:
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Naamah and the Ark at Night. Illustrated by Holly Meade.
(Candlewick Press, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-7636-4242-6). Presented in ghazal, an Arabic poetic
brushes, Naamah’s calming singing is reflected in the rhythm of the text as well as in
gorgeous illustrations, often shown in shadow to mimic the night atmosphere. Those who do
not appreciate the poetry will definitely enjoy the pictures (4-8)
Brett, Jan. On Noah’s Ark. (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003; ISBN: 0-399-14018-4). Noah’s
granddaughter takes care of the animals, and it is her dove that is sent out to search for dry
land. The gorgeous illustrations highlight the variety of animals, and the format makes the
story look like a book within a book. (4-8)
Cullen, Lynn. Little Scraggly Hair: A Dog on Noah’s Ark. Illustrated by Jacqueline
Rogers. (Holiday House, 2003; ISBN: 0-8234-1772-7). A country tail of how dogs’ noses got
to be cold and wet, and how Noah was able to get all the animals on the ark. The biblical
story is seen through a different prism with authentic speech and detailed color illustrations.
(5-10)
Cousins, Lucy. Noah’s Ark. (Candlewick Press, 1993; ISBN: 1-56402-213-7). Simple text
and bright illustrations with lots of animals make the biblical story of Noah and The Flood
accessible to young readers. (2-6).
Falken, Linda. Noah's Ark. (Harry N. Abrams, 2015; ISBN: 978-1419713613). It's an art
lesson and a bible story in one as paintings and drawings from the Metropolitan Museum of
Art's collection accompany the retelling of the tale. Notes about the artwork are included (48)
Geisert, Arthur. The Ark. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1988; ISBN: 0-618-00608-7).
Detailed full-page, black and white pictures of the inside of the ark and the outside weather
emphasize the enormity of the ark and the task of tending the animals. Although biblically
inaccurate in terms of the contents of the three levels, the illustrations will help young
readers understand the size and scope of keeping the animals on the ark. (5-10).
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Gerstein, Mordicai. Noah and the Great Flood. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers, 1999; ISBN: 0-689-81371-6). “A retelling of the Old Testament story of how Noah
and his family were saved, along with two of every living creature, when God destroyed the
wicked of the world with a devastating flood.” N.B.: Angels are depicted with wings, coming
down from the sky and giving Noah a book and the dove an olive branch. (5-10)
Greengard, Alison. Noah’s Ark. Illustrated by Carol Racklin-Siegel. (EKS Publishing Co.,
2004; ISBN: 0-939144-42-5). While the text is Biblical Hebrew, many words and sentences
have been omitted. The colorful illustrations depict key events in the story. The book
includes an introduction, a literal translation and a glossary which includes pronunciation. (6
and up)
Janisch, Heinz. Noah’s Ark. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. (A Michael Neugebauer
Book/North-South Books, 1997; ISBN: 1-55858-784-5). Heinz’s retelling follows the Bible
story closely. Zwerger’s illustrations have Noah and his family dressed in modern clothes,
people carrying umbrellas, and beautiful animals. Her creativity is evident in pictures that
mimic an animal manual, little paws peeking out of windows once the ark rests, and an eel
swimming through a house submerged in the water. N.B.: When the text describes how
everything (and everyone) was destroyed by the flood waters, it is accompanied by a
picture with a unicorn. (8-12)
Jonas, Ann. Aardvarks, Disembark! (Scholastic, 1990; ISBN: 0-590-45151-0). After the
rains stopped and the ark came to rest, it was time for the animals to leave. Noah calls the
names of the animals he knows, but there are many left on the ark. When he again calls
“disembark,” 132 species walk out of the ark and out to populate the earth. Though the
focus is on the animals, it also demonstrates the magnitude of the ark and the variety of
animals in the world. (5-10)
Kuskin, Karla. The Animals and the Ark. Illustrated by Michael Grenjiec. (Atheneum
Books for Young Readers, 2000; ISBN: 0-689-83095-5). The animals on the ark get bored
and start fighting and crying, but the sun comes out just in time. A cute rhyme and
illustrations that fill the pages with color and activity make this a good choice to reading out
loud. (3-8)
Lenski, Lois. Mr. and Mrs. Noah. (Random House, 1948; ISBN: 0-375-83617-9). The story
of Noah and the Ark is told very simply for youngest readers. Noah and his family look like
stiff dolls, but the animals are illustrated realistically. (2-6)
Lepon, Shoshana. Noah and the Rainbow. Illustrated by Aaron Friedman. (Judaica
Press, Inc., 1993; ISBN: 1-88-582-04-X). Colorful illustrations and cute rhymes combine to
tell the story of Noah and his family as they build the ark, gather the animals, take care of
them during the flood, and see the rainbow. (3-8)
Le Tord, Bijou. Noah’s Trees. (HarperCollins Publishers, 1999; ISBN: 06-028235-5). “Noah
nurtures his trees, planning to give them to his sons, but God has another use for them in
mind. Creative interpretation of biblical story. (4-8)
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Ludwig, Warren. Old Noah’s Elephants. (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1991; ISBN: 0-399-222561). “When the misbehavior of the two elephants aboard Noah’s ark threatens the survival of
the other animals, God tells Noah that the solution is to tickle the hyena.” (4-8)
Monroe, Colleen and Michael Glenn Monroe. A Is for Ark: Noah’s Journey. Illustrated by
Michael Glenn Monroe. (Storytime Press, 2004; ISBN: 0-9754942-0-1). Starting with A for
Ark, this rhyming tale uses the alphabet to chronicle the animals that board Noah’s Ark. “U
is for Umbrella, to keep Noah dry,” “X on the map shows the way this is right,” but all the
other letters stand for easily recognizable animals. Adorable, richly-colored illustrations
amplify the text. (4-10).
Paley, Joan. One More River: A Noah’s Ark Counting Song. (Little Brown, 2002; ISBN:
0-316-60702-9). This adaptation of a traditional spiritual is full of energy and color as the
animals are counted up and board the ark. An elephant, kangaroos, bears and chicken are
some of the animals young readers will recognize as they sing along. (4-8).
Pinkney, Jerry. Noah’s Ark. (Chronicle Books, 2002; ISBN: 1-58717-201-1). A Caldecott
Honor book for the luminous illustrations, the narrative adheres to the biblical version of the
story, and includes God’s displeasure with the world (5-10)
Reid, Barbara. Fox Walked Alone. (Albert Whitman & Company, 2009; ISBN: 978-0-80752548-7). Fox usually spends his time by himself, but he wakes up one morning and senses
that something is different. He sees pairs of animals walking somewhere and decides to
follow. The parade ends at a big boat, where Noah and his wife welcome all the animals as
the rain begins to fall. The text is in simple verse, and tells the story without forced rhyme
or rhythm. The ravens serve as a chorus – they appear several times: “’That crazy fox!’ the
ravens said. One rolled her eyes, one shook his head.” The final page shows them flying to
the ark and commenting:” ’That clever fox!’” (5-10)
Reinhart, Matthew. The Ark: a Pop-up. (Little Simon, 2005; ISBN: 978-0-689-85909-0).
“This faithful retelling is accompanied by glorious artwork and intricate paper engineering—
sure to captivate readers of all ages.” (4 and up)
Rouss, Sylvia. The Littlest Pair. Illustrated by Holly Hannon. (Pitspopany Press, 2001;
ISBN: 1-930143-17-6). As the animals gather and begin to enter the ark, they are all
upset when the termites appear, fearing they will eat the boat. But as the flood starts and
the deck of the ark gets slippery, the termites help by chewing some extra wood and
providing sawdust for traction. The lesson is to accept each other because everyone is
God’s creature. Colorful pictures of animals with expressive faces compliment the rhyming
text. (4-8)
Santore, Charles A. A Stowaway on Noah’s Ark. (Random House, 2000; ISBN: 0-67988820-9). “Not having been chosen by Noah, Achbar the mouse stows away on the ark and
tries not to be discovered while he and the other animals await the end of the flood.”
Gorgeous illustrations accompany charming story (5-10)
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Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. Naamah, Noah’s Wife. Illustrated by Bethanne Andersen.
(Skylight Paths, 2002; ISBN: 1-893361-56-X). While Noah builds the ark and gathers the
animals, his wife collects fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, so she can plant after the
flood. The colorful illustrations, simple words and board book format make this a good
choice for the youngest patrons. (4-8)
Shapiro, Zachary. We’re All in the Same Boat. Illustrated by Jack E. Davis. (G. P.
Putnam’s Sons, 2009; ISBN: 978-0-399-24393-6). When the animals on the ark become
restless, Noah’s holler of “we’re all in the same boat” snaps the animals on his ark out of
their bad moods and complaining into a group that gets along and entertains themselves
through the rain and the flood. Using the alphabet, the animals, from “antsy ants” to
“zoned-out zebras” change their attitudes. Soon there are “cooperative camels” and “merry
moose.” The book ends with the clouds clearing as “the ark sailed on with a promise of
peace.” (4-8)
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Why Noah Chose the Dove. Pictures by Eric Carle. Translated
by Elizabeth Shub. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974; ISBN: 0-374-38420-7). The dove
sits quietly while all the other animals boast about themselves, so Noah picks her to be his
messenger and scout out dry land. Carle’s colorful illustrations of animals are a perfect
complement to the text. (4-8)
Spier, Peter. Noah’s Ark. (Doubleday, 1977; ISBN: 0-385-09473-6). A poem translated
from the Dutch at the beginning of the book are the only words as creative illustrations
depict Noah, the flood, the animals, and after the flood, the rainbow. (3-8)
Thoms, Susan Collins. Noah's Ark. Illustrated by Naoko Stoop. (Sterling Children's Books,
2013; ISBN: 978-1402785498). Stoop's beautiful illustrations, painted on wood scraps,
make this board book a stand out. (0-3)
Wilson, Anne. Noah’s Ark. (Chronicle Books, 2002; ISBN: 0-8118-3563-4). “This version
emphasizes the ultimate importance of love, kindness and world stewardship.” Illustrations
reminiscent of folk art bring the story to life. (5-10)
Wormell, Christopher. The Animals Came Two by Two: The Story of Noah’s Ark.
(Running Press, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-7624-2718-5). Bold lino-cut illustrations tell the story
of Noah, with emphasis on the variety of animals. Back matter describes each of the
animals in detail. (5-10).
Not Suggested:
Idle, Molly Schaar. Nighty Night, Noah. (Abingdon Press, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-687-646913). Solely a rhyming recitation of the animals in alphabetic order, this book from the United
Methodist Press ends with “Now I lay me down to sleep.” (4-8)
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Krensky, Stephen. Noah’s Bark. Illustrations by Rogè. (Carolrhoda Books, 2010; ISBN:
978-0-8225-7645-7). “Discover how each animal came to make the noise it does today in
this whimsical retelling of the beloved Noah’s ark story.” The illustrations are very cute, but
the story is more of a pourquoi tale than a version of the biblical narrative. (4-8)
McGuire, Andy. Rainy Day Games: Fun with the Animals of Noah’s Ark. (Harvest
House, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-7369-2371-2). McGuire’s imagination and sense of humor are
evident as giraffes play twister and an ostrich and a bear play soccer, but the book is about
animals playing games, not really the biblical story of Noah. (5-10)
Nolan, Allia Zobel. Noah’s Notebook: How God Save Me, My Family, and the Animals
from the Flood. Illustrated by Linda Clearwater. (Harvest House Publishers, 2009; ISBN:
978-0-7369-2508-2).Noah describes his conversations with God, building the ark, loading
food for the animals, and how the other people made fun of him. Entries Six, Seven and
Eight detail the rain and flood and life on the ark. Entry Nine, the final one, is about life
after Noah and the animals leave the ark. In the glossary, “Hebrew” is defined as “the
name given to God’s chosen people who were also called Israelites.” In a picture where
Noah and his family are praying, the people are kneeling and have their hands together.
The book emphasizes God’s love for Noah as opposed to His disappointment with what was
wrong with the world. (4-8)
Philip, Neil. Noah and the Devil: A Legend of Noah’s Ark from Romania. Illustrated by
Isabelle Brent. (Clarion Books, 2001; ISBN: 0-618-11754-7). This book has stunning
illustrations and the basic story of the flood, but it adds some pourquoi tales about the
animals, including the Devil in the form of a mouse, why cats lie in the sun and don’t like
water, and why there are fleas that bite people. (5-10)
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