From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K?Walton reveals that Noah, his family, and their animal passengers lightened the stormy time aboard the ark by having an old-fashioned hoedown. Noah acts as caller while his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law serve as musicians and join in the dance. The bouncy text modifies traditional square-dance calls to account for the menagerie involved, with rhymes such as "'Circle once, then twirl that lion. Lizards, keep those petticoats flyin'!" Wickstrom's illustrations bring to life a family clad in overalls and include the usual extensive variety of creatures that are part of any ark story. Although the hues seem a bit dark for the exuberant rhythm of the text, the fact that the square dance occurs by candlelight has to be taken into account. An enjoyable supplement.?Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
Ages 3^-6. It's square dance night on Noah's ark "As fiddlers rosin up their bows / And dancers start to tap their toes. . . ." The rhythm promenades through the book, setting an upbeat tone and a lively pace for reading aloud. Noah calls the dance moves, and the friendly-looking animals and people try to follow his instructions, though things get a little wild with "Pick up your honey with a left arm 'round / And swing that hippo off the ground." Soon the storm ends, partners hug, and on the last page the animals disembark. The artwork, painted on heavily textured cloth, glows with warm colors. Thick, black lines define the characters and their loping dance steps. The last two decades have seen a flotilla of ecologically inspired interpretations of the ark saga, but think of this book as a child pleaser, a plucky tugboat among the elegant, three-masted schooners. As picture-book versions of Noah's ark go, it's a hoot. Carolyn Phelan
