Saving the forest - two by two

By Karen Carden

March 23, 2000

NOAH'S TREES Written and illustrated by Bijou Le Tord HarperCollins, unpaged, $15.95 Ages 4-6

Noah's Ark" is a Bible story that has been told and retold for centuries, even millenniums. In "Noah's Trees," Bijou Le Tord departs from a strict retelling, but in doing so she captures a great tenderness between God and Noah. Here, Noah plants saplings and lovingly cares for his trees. He plans to give the forests to his three sons, but God has another idea.

He calls on Noah to use the trees to build an ark. Noah obeys, felling all his favorite trees to build the boat that will float his family and animals to safety. Once the ark is complete, Noah carries on board a most important item: a small box of seedlings "from the trees he loved the most." The simple story and its bold, beautiful artwork may well make this a favorite book. And ideally, this fictional version will provide adults an opportunity to discuss the biblical account of Noah with youngsters.

*Karen Carden reviews children's books regularly for the Monitor.