Moses' Ark, Stories From the Bible - Hardcover

ALICE BACH is the author of more than twenty books for children and young adults, among them two ALA Notable books and two named Best Book of the Year by the New York Times. 

J. CHERYL EXUM is well known for her work on the biblical book of Judges and has published widely in the area of literary criticism of biblical texts. 

LEO AND DIANE DILLON have collaborated on a number of distinguished picture books. They were awarded the Caldecott Medal two times consecutively, in 1976 and 1977, and have received honors from the Society of Illustrators, the Art Directors Club, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Grade 4-8-- Are we neglecting our Bible heritage? This retelling may help children value it anew. Among the 13 stories (taken from Genesis through Kings) are many once well-known to all (Eden, Noah, Babel) and a few less familar (Deborah, Jotham's Fable). Even the best-known Old Testament stories, however, take on new meaning in the light of sensitive translations and informative notes, both of which abound in this book. Patriarchal attitudes and assumptions are put into perspective; Bach and Exum actually avoid referring to the Deity as "He" (by the somewhat awkward sacrifice of all personal pronouns). This feat is less significant than their outstanding endnotes and the vigorous, colloquial, but dignified prose style of the narratives, which conveys much of the spirit of the ancient texts. This results in a version that is livelier than de la Mare's Stories from the Bible (Faber, 1985) and more accessible than Peter Dickinson's literarily stunning City of Gold (Gollancz, 1980; o.p.). The Dillons are such effective colorists that finding them confined to black and white here is initially dismaying--but only initially. The artists make the most of their grisaille by choosing night scenes or interior settings. These picture have detail, dignity, and drama, and their unusual design wizardry has a convincingly archaic flavor. The image of Moses dwarfed by towering walls of water is so powerful that scholars' objections (the crossing of the shallow sea was probably more a matter of weather than of wonder) might seem carping. --Patricia Dooley, University of Wash ington, Seattle
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