Children's Book Review: Noah: A Wordless Picture Book by Mark Ludy

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from the author,via Handlebar Publishing, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

And now for a book that started from a campaign on Kickstarter, with a goal of 30,000 supporters,

and which garnered over 36,000 in the allotted time! 

Keep reading and you'll see why everyone got behind this stunning book!

Synopsis: 

A hundred years before the Great Flood, a man named Noah came home talking crazy. God wanted him to build the biggest ship the world had ever seen. The future of humanity depended on it. How would his wife respond? What would the neighbors think? Was it even feasible? This lavish re-imagining of one of the greatest stories of all time will fascinate children and adults alike. Nuanced and playful, yet meticulous in following the biblical narrative, Mark Ludy's world-class art digs deeper than the Sunday-school tale of cuddly animals, exploring Noah's relationship with his family, the natural world, God--and a formidable engineering challenge.

Review:

One word: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is beyond visually stunning! It truly brings new life to the story of Noah, and is the most beautiful book of the year! Miss Grace and I had to go through all the book together, then start over at the beginning, while SHE told me the story. I added in some of the adult nuances told in the illustrations, and we had a very interactive tale going! How many times does that happen with a BIBLE story? 

One of my favorite pages in the book is the picture above showing Noah making the plans for the ark, based on the dimensions given to him. We always seem to think of Noah as a very simple man, don't we? But in Mark's hands he is intelligent, driven, and sure of his faith. But that doesn't mean he doesn't commit the plan to paper first! How modern is that thinking?

Miss Grace loved the picture above, as it is probably the most realistic one she has seen, for how the animals were packed into the ark. Obviously the birds would have been flying around (we had a LONG discussion about whether or not they ate all the insects, and why not!), and the ark as big as it was was still being struck by the massive waves that would have been sent to clean everything. It is a new way to look at the simple elements of the story! If you look at the Kickstarter videos for this project, you'll realize how much of Mark himself is in Noah- and that's a good thing! 

Another favorite picture of ours is the joy in Noah's eyes, and his wife's, as they see snow landing for the first time. There is so much life and personality in each character- that you feel like you know them.

And that is they key- you get a better understanding of Noah and his family, and how their faith was tested, the conditions they suffered through, and how the animals coped. In essence, the story is fleshed out visually for you, but it is up to the 'reader' to supply the dialogue, based on the bible story. But the illustrations help to point the 'reader' to a new acknowledgement of the tale that is worlds away from the children's story we all know. Kudo's to Mark and we can't wait to see if he makes another book based on a different bible story (hey Mark, Miss Grace is suggesting David and Goliath!)!! I can easily imagine a series of books that would become a treasure to hand down from generation to generation.

If you are looking for the ultimate family biblical treasure, be sure to order your copy of this book today! The book can be ordered on Mark's website. You can also purchase posters and prints, as well as limited edition, signed/numbered prints! We can't recommend this book enough!

About the Author/Illustrator:

Mark has written, or illustrated, eight children's books, including The Farmer, The Flower Man, The Grump, and Jujo; The Youngest Tribesman. When he's not immersed in his sketchbooks promoting art and literacy. He lives in Colorado with his wife, daughter and two sons.