Via RSS feed.June 14th, 2009
Book Review: The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud (The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz, Book One) by Jenny L. Cote
The voyage of Noah’s ark is one of the most often retold stories in the history of mankind. This tale of God’s judgment upon unrepentant mankind holds a place of endless fascination for young and old alike, with the echoes of the event being retold in myths and legends throughout many cultures. In The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud, Jenny L. Cote approaches this event from early history (found in Genesis 6 – 9 of the Bible) through the eyes of the creatures called by God to board the ark.
The first in a new series aiming to retell major historical events through the eyes of Max – a Scottish Terrier, and Liz – a sleek French feline, and their respective mates Kate and Al, Cote sets the stage for the continued involvement of these animals throughout history and establishes their characters. Adopting the commonly utilized simplification of animals coming two by two to the ark, God gathers animals from every continent and nation, which strangely coincide with modern geography and foreign languages perfectly. The story of Noah and his family is recounted alongside to the journey of the animals following God’s beckoning presence in the fire cloud – though the animals’ point of view is dominant.
Though Cote’s unique retelling is light-hearted and fun-filled, God’s glory, honour and righteousness are always front and center, contrasted with the lies, deceit and self-interest of the enemy who makes his presence felt upon the ark. The importance of a personal relationship with God is illustrated through Max’s need to set himself aside and full rely on his maker.
A full-length novel at 476 pages, this series debut seemed longer than the plot warranted. Though I succeeded in reading through the work aloud to my young ones - and they were duly entertained by the comical carousing of Al, the plump orange tabby, throughout - I wonder if many readers in the targeted age range of 9 – 12-years-old will make it through. A huge amount of character development, background and detail was included that seems to only puff up the page count rather than truly contributing to the storyline.
While landing firmly in the realm of lengthy chapter book, a handful of illustrations are provided by Rob Moffitt, one at the beginning of each part. These black and white line drawings are adorable, bringing the boxy terrier and his friends to life. Additional drawings in the mix would have been enchanting.
Though a generally enjoyable read, I was disappointed to find several of the doctrinally important occurrences following the landing of the ark rewritten to be ‘pet-friendly’. The sacrifice made by Noah and his family, resulting in God’s pleasure and his promise of the rainbow is glossed over, and God’s ensuing promise and new commands for life in this post-flood world are entirely rewritten and inaccurate as well.
From an author who claims to “stay true to the facts and events that God gave in His word, and the facts known from eyewitness accounts in history” I find this deeply disappointing. I truly enjoy Biblical fiction, but firmly believe that the basic facts as laid out in scripture should be clearly incorporated within storylines to avoid confusion – particularly in writings for young children. As a result of this omission of facts that could have been easily included in the story, I’m unable to recommendThe Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud to potential readers. Perhaps future installments will provide more in step with scripture.
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Impressive review! Thanks for the head’s up. This one is on my shelf, but I had trouble making it past chatpter 3 myself…
I did find it a bit drawn out, it could have been much shorter
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Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for your thoughtful review. I always appreciate feedback, and the opportunity to assuage any concerns that readers or reviewers may have. You’ve listed a few so let me try to address those if I may. The length has not been an issue at all with young readers. In fact, most of them are 8-12 and are speedily reading the book in a matter of days. I’ve also heard from families with young children who have gobbled it up as a family read aloud, keeping the attention of their children and giving families welcomed together time. I believe the record though was a 7 year old who read it in 5 days! That one really amazed me but the kids have eagerly emailed me for more, hoping the second book is just as long. (Book two, The Dreamer, the Schemer and the Robe (August 2009) is a tad longer and all 40+ advance readers have expressed that it far surpasses The Ark, so I hope you’ll think so, too!
In regard to your concerns over doctrinal issues, remember that at the beginning of the book I say that “This is a work of fiction based on truth. For the true story read Genesis 6-9.” The reason for that disclaimer is that for this fiction work, there are many things included that did not happen in the real story. You could also express concerns that dogs and cats didn’t speak and hold animal talent night aboard the ark! But just as we didn’t know what Jesus did from age 2-30 except for a brief snapshot at age 12, plus the many things he did that the gospels said they could never record, I augmented some things God said at the end of the book, but not as a replacement for the biblical text. I make reference to that in the epilogue when the animals leave the ark that God gave further instructions to Noah (which I intended to imply as the specifics God gave to Noah in the biblical text). I did indeed gloss over the sacrifice scene, not giving indication as to what was causing the pleasing aroma to the Lord. I of course did not describe the sacrifice of the animals since it would have been traumatic to have book characters meet such an end! There again, for the true story, go to the Genesis account!
I respect your opinions and greatly appreciate your fervor for biblical accuracy, for I share it. I express it differently perhaps, but in the way God inspired me to write it. I hope you will read the story of Joseph in book two and let me know what you think.
God bless!
Jenny
Thanks for coming by Jenny. Our family did read it together for bedtime read alouds and my children thought it was very entertaining. I’m totally fine with fictional talking animals and imagined details that the Bible doesn’t supply- those aren’t a concern for me, however I do love books that incorporate the truth that IS present in scripture in stories for children to help make the actual events more memorable. Well, I’ll admit – I like accurate biblical fiction for adults too, where the scriptures are clear I feel we should be clear, and then do our best to fill in the blanks in our works of fiction
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Take care! I’m certainly interested in reading your future efforts!