The voyage of Noah’s ark is one of the most often retold stories in the history of mankind. This tale of God’s judgment upon unrepentant mankind holds a place of endless fascination for young and old alike, with the echoes of the event being retold in myths and legends throughout many cultures. In The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud, Jenny L. Cote approaches this event from early history (found in Genesis 6 – 9 of the Bible) through the eyes of the creatures called by God to board the ark.
The first in a new series aiming to retell major historical events through the eyes of Max - a Scottish Terrier, and Liz - a sleek French feline, and their respective mates Kate and Al, Cote sets the stage for the continued involvement of these animals throughout history and establishes their characters. Adopting the commonly utilized simplification of animals coming two by two to the ark, God gathers animals from every continent and nation, which strangely coincide with modern geography and foreign languages perfectly. The story of Noah and his family is recounted alongside to the journey of the animals following God’s beckoning presence in the fire cloud – though the animals' point of view is dominant.
Though Cote’s unique retelling is light-hearted and fun-filled, God’s glory, honour and righteousness are always front and center, contrasted with the lies, deceit and self-interest of the enemy who makes his presence felt upon the ark. The importance of a personal relationship with God is illustrated through Max’s need to set himself aside and full rely on his maker.
A full-length novel at 476 pages, this series debut seemed longer than the plot warranted. Though I succeeded in reading through the work aloud to my young ones - and they were duly entertained by the comical carousing of Al, the plump orange tabby, throughout - I wonder if many readers in the targeted age range of 9 – 12-years-old will make it through. A huge amount of character development, background and detail was included that seems to only puff up the page count rather than truly contributing to the storyline.
Article comments
1 - Mycroft
Look in the bottom left hand corner of this picture and enlarge it if necessary. One good Noah's Ark story deserves another..