Tags
A Faith that God Built book, A Patch on the Peak of Ararat, Barbara Chotiner, Book Review, Children's Book, Christian, Flood, Gary Bower, Genesis, Noah, Tyndale Kids
Title: A Patch on the Peak of Ararat
Series: A Faith that God Built book
Author: Gary Bower
Illustrated by: Barbara Chotiner
Published by: Tyndale Kids (February 2, 2017)
Pages: 32 (Hardcover)
Blurb: The Faith that God Built series by Gary Bower uses the same whimsical style of storytelling as The House that Jack Built, using rhyme to introduce preschoolers through second graders to favorite Bible stories. Gary has a well-developed talent for creating engaging narratives that also teach biblical truth through rhyme.
In Patch on the Peak of Ararat, Noah follows God’s plan, resulting in his rescue from destruction.
My Take: This book promises whimsical storytelling, and in that I suppose it delivers. Many of the pages are packed full of words, with each new element in the story being added in to the repetitive cycle of the story. This is definitely a pattern that children in the targeted age range, preschool through second grade, might enjoy. It also helps to prompt memorization after enough reads, because the pattern of adding to that repeating chorus of phrases.
The illustrations are pleasant to see, displaying Noah and his sons and the ark and pairs of animals. There is some good color, and so it will hold some visual appeal to children. One thing that confused me, though, was the choice of animal inclusions. For instance, page 19 mentions hamster and hippo, hyena and hare. The images on the two shown pages have hippos and hares, but also peacocks and bears (instead of hamsters and hyenas). I would have expected the images to match the words, especially in the instances where those animals are mentioned so you, or your child, can point to each of them as they are mentioned.
I like how the final page not only has a nice, colorful image, but it also has a memory verse and directs the reader on where to find the full story in the Bible (Genesis 6-9, in case you are curious). This is a nice inclusion, and could be a great lead-in as the children get older. Overall this is a nice children’s book for any collection. Kids will enjoy the repetitive style of storytelling, and it succeeds at helping to learn the story of Noah and the flood.
Author David Wiley 
I’ve also noticed with some of our kids books, the illustrations do not match up with the words. Maybe they figure the children looking at it won’t notice!