Association of Jewish Libraries Review Feb./March 2016 issue
Marks,
Allison and Wayne Marks. Illustrated by Martina Peluso. Og’s Ark. Kar-Ben: Minneapolis: MN. 32 pp. $17.99. (9781467761499)
HC; $7.99. (9781467761505) PBK. K-Gr. 2.
Og, a giant, is in need of a good
night’s sleep. Unable to find a bed that can accommodate his large stature, he
sleeps outside on “the hard ground under the stars.” The lack of sleep makes
him grumpy and his loud yawns scare people, but animals know he has a kind
heart. His over-sized body becomes
a refuge for animals looking for a
safe place to sleep at night. Even though their chatter keeps him up at night,
he lets the animals sleep in his beard, pockets, and curled up at his feet.
Noah sees his kindness to animals and asks Og to help him bring the animals to
the ark before the flood. Og agrees and Noah lets him ride out the storm on the
Ark too. When the flood ends, God rewards Og with a palace, complete with an
enormous bed.
Young readers will be captivated by
Og’s gigantic size and his kindness to animals. The illustrations are colorful
and appealing. Unfortunately, readers looking for more information about Og
will be disappointed by the short author’s note which simply mentions that the
story “blends the tale of Noah
and the Flood with the biblical
reference to the giant’s bed.” However, as with Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
(Candlewick, 2011) and We’re All In the
Same Boat by Zachary R. Shapiro (Putnam, 2009), Og’s Ark provides a retelling of the Noah’s Ark story from a unique
perspective.
Aimee Lurie, Branch Manager,
Cuyahoga County (OH) Public Library - Beachwood Branch
[Editor’s Note: Allison Marks is the
former librarian of Temple Israel in Akron, Ohio and an AJL reviewer. Og’s Ark is her, and her husband
Wayne’s, first children’s book.]
OG'S ARK
Age Range: 4 - 8
KIRKUS
REVIEW
Combining a character from Numbers
and Deuteronomy with the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark, the Marks and Peluso
introduce the giant Og. First shown in the arms of a
smiling, doughy woman with her back against a tree trunk and her head in the
leaves, Og is a big baby, so large he breaks his cradle and every bed after
that as he grows. Years of sleepless nights make him grumpy to his fellow
humans, but animals seek the safety of his warm mass. Because the animals trust
Og, Noah tells Og about the impending flood and enlists his help gathering the
animals. The vivid palette in greens, golds, and browns is warm, and the
rounded shapes bring a look of juvenile innocence to all of the characters.
Bible stories are complicated, and this comforting aesthetic stands in contrast
to the devastation and implied death that sensitive youngsters will surely ask
about, especially after seeing a close-up of Og’s tear-stained face when he
discovers he cannot fit in the ark (although Og has previously said he is so
tall he cannot drown). Noah invites Og to ride on top of the ark and later the
giant is rewarded, presumably by God, with a giant-sized bed—which Og finds
perfectly comfortable once his animal friends join him.An unusual take on a familiar story,
with an enormous and likable character. (Picture
book. 4-8)