Overview

When Noah's parents build a huge boat in the backyard to house his wide array of pets, he worries the animals will forget him. Instead, Noah learns a positive lesson about the power of friendship. Noah Zark loves his many pets, from goats and penguins to giraffes and pigs. Unfortunately, that means the Zarks' house is very crowded. Noah's parents come up with a clever plan to handle their animal overload -- they build a giant boat (ala Noah's ark) in the backyard for the animals to share. That's when Noah starts to worry. When his pets move into their new home, will they forget about him and never want to play? Filled with bright, joyful illustrations, this endearing picture book about a boy who loves animals -- and the animals who love him -- sends a positive message about the power of creative problem-solving and the ability to adapt and grow with the help of those we care about most. ""Beautifully illustrated, this book may help kindle a child's appreciation for animals and might just spark a young imagination about the ways to care for pets and the creation."" -- Rev. Betsy Singleton Snyder, author of Stepping on Cheerios: Finding God in the Chaos and Clutter of Life

Full Product Details

9798990295131

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Noah Zark is a creative, modern retelling of the classic Noah's Ark story that very thinly resembles its source material with no religious undertones. Instead, it creates an entirely new conflict, message, and resolution that is kid friendly and fun to read. Noah is an outcast who is only interested in hanging out with animals. Normally, this type of story's message would be to teach kids to connect with their own kind and introduce a human friend for Noah to spend time with. Instead, it leans into his interests and doesn't strip him of his passions or preferred company. It's Noah's parents who have the real conflict of their son's friends destroying their house. However, their solution is a compromise that doesn't deny their son of his friends but just provides enough of a separation that they don't feel so intruded upon in their own home. Unlike the biblical story, there's no flood or any other apocalyptic event that creates any high stakes, life or death situations. Instead, it's a gentle learning opportunity for Noah to learn about change and that true friends won't abandon you. I recommend Noah Zark to readers ranging from pre-school to early elementary school. It's a fun book with a full story, fun illustrations, and particularly geared toward animal lovers. It shows kids that it's sometimes necessary to give a new way of life a chance. Your closest relationships can endure any change, and it can even help you to grow closer to them."" 5 Stars, Laura's Books and Blogs ""Beautifully illustrated, this book may help kindle a child's appreciation for animals and might just spark a young imagination about the ways to care for pets and the creation."" Rev. Betsy Singleton Snyder, author of Stepping on Cheerios: Finding God in the Chaos and Clutter of Life ""Beautifully illustrated, this book may help kindle a child's appreciation for animals and might just spark a young imagination about the ways to care for pets and the creation."" Rev. Betsy Singleton Snyder, author of Stepping on Cheerios: Finding God in the Chaos and Clutter of Life

Author Information

As a child, Susan Polk Van Dusen visited the library every week with her parents and brought home stacks of books to enjoy. After having kids of her own, Susan continued this tradition with weekly trips to storytime and nightly bedtime stories. Now, she hopes her picture books will bring joy to countless children and the grownups who love them. Susan has enjoyed a long, award-winning career in public relations, writing, and editing, in addition to serving as a college writing professor. She received a bachelor's degree in communication arts from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and a master's degree in professional and technical writing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The proud mom of two grown daughters, Susan and her husband live in Arkansas with their two pets, a dachshund and a border collie. When she's not working on a new children's book, Susan enjoys yoga, gardening, and traveling. Since childhood, Scott Mattson has enjoyed artistic expression, even his younger brother's abstract in green paint on the family home's garage floor. However, Scott's own artistic interests weren't fully realized until he took an art class during his second semester of community college in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which ultimately led to a graphic design degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Scott has had artwork featured in the Arkansas Small Works on Paper touring exhibition and in an Arkansas Governor's Mansion Arkansas Artists calendar, selected as the theme piece for Walton Arts Center's Art of Wine festival, displayed at the Inn at Carnal Hall on the University of Arkansas campus and at the Fayetteville Town Center, and honored twice with Best of Show by the Ozark Art Alliance in Siloam Springs. After working for several years as a graphic designer, Scott pursued an interest in aviation and landed at Lockheed Martin, where he now works as a configuration analyst. In addition to his passion for art and planes, Scott loves to travel and watch his kids do what they love - theatre and tennis. He and his wife, Aaran, reside in Conway, Arkansas, where they'll soon be empty nesters.

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