From Publishers Weekly
Pinkney (The Ugly Duckling) unfurls some of the finest illustrations of his career in this lush, not-to-be-missed version of the perennially popular Bible story. In unfettered, graceful prose, Pinkney relates Noah's faithful work in building the ship and gathering the animals. He enhances the smoothly rendered plot with simple, evocative detail ("The strong wooden beams embraced the clouds"; "[The animals] followed him into the ark, and God closed the door behind them"). The watercolor-and-pencil animal tableaux delicately hued, vigorously executed are stunning in their artistry. Realistically drawn creatures flap, leap, lumber and slither about under the watchful, hopeful eyes of a kind-faced, gray-bearded Noah and his family. These crowded but never chaotic scenes, as well as those depicting whales in implicit comparison with the ark, will help children grasp the magnitude of the story's message of faith, stewardship and obedience. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-Pinkney provides a fresh perspective on an often-interpreted story without introducing unusual characters. He employs watercolor and colored pencil to create a world so filled with life that not even a flood can erase its energy. His straightforward account of Noah's story includes only minor variations from the Genesis narratives. The illustrations tell much more. Noah and his family are sturdy farmers, but they are dwarfed by the ark they build. Gathering provisions, they endure the taunts of neighbors. Waiting to board, the animals spill across the pages, not in tidy lines but in messy abundance. Yet, during the voyage, humans and animals share space peacefully. Before Noah's story starts, Pinkney offers a seascape celebrating the goodness of creation. Many of the ocean dwellers reappear in a panorama in which they swim over drowned cities while the ark floats above. Such details add to the book's visual discoveries. The final view of Earth adorned with clouds and rainbows as it floats through space reinforces the unspoken message of the wonder and fragility of the natural world. Yes, another "Noah's Ark" book needs to be squeezed onto shelves, but this one won't sit there long.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.