Noah's Ark [Hardcover]

Rien Poortvliet (Author)

Book Description

The stirring events and drama of Noah's Ark provide renowned Dutch artist Rien Poortvliet with a wide scope for his unique drawing talents. Poortvliet is the bestselling author of Gnomes and Secrets of the Gnomes. Full-color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Creator of Gnomes, Dogs and Dutch Treat, Dutch artist Poortvliet tackles the Biblical story of Noah and the flood in this oversize, lavishly produced album. We watch as Noah and his family build the ark with a big wooden crane, then see how the animals adjust to cramped conditions on the boat, until they finally go forth onto dry land. While this imaginative, pictorial retelling shows empathy for the animal kingdom and gently preaches reverence for life, the pictures (223 pages in color) are sentimental to the point of anthropomorphizing the animals, and the handwritten commentaries are frequently coy or trite. Besides continually proclaiming his awe at the infinite variety of creation, Poortvliet devotes pages to comparative studies of beaks, eyes, ears, snouts. He annoyingly mixes in boyhood reminiscences and musings on being an artist.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Rien Poortvliet was one of Holland's most popular artists and the author of Abrams' Gnomes and Secrets of the Gnomes, among others. After a successful career in advertising, Poortvliet dedicated himself to book illustration. Although he passed away in 1995, his books remain classics, continuing to enchant both new readers and longtime enthusiasts. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First English Translation edition (March 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810913712
• ISBN-13: 978-0810913714
• Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 12.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #761,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Children's Books > Religions > Christianity > Noah's Ark

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulously vivid picture of life in nature., August 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Noah's Ark (Hardcover)

Four of five years ago, I stumbled across this book in a store and was taken aback by its beauty and inspiration. I loved the book but decided not to buy it at that time. I lost track of the author information and was disappointed for I was never able to locate the book again.

Not long ago, I described the book to a friend of mine, how it is a book centered around the Biblical story of Noah's Ark and celebrating the beautiful diversity of Earth's creatures. She recently surprised me by locating a copy for my birthday. :-D

I enjoy reading the artist's thoughts of the story and what it must have been like to be there. I especially like the many colorful pages where Poortvliet concentrates one feature of the animals, so that we can see the contrasting beauty of their ears, or eyes, or skin, etc..

This is large book with hundreds of colorful pages, a nice edition to any collection. If I decide to keep this out on my coffee table, I will first have to build another table where it will fit. :-)

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best pictures portrayed by anyone, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Noah's Ark (Hardcover)

I just saw this book last night and it has some of the best art work I have ever seen. The drawings are beautiful. It is an awesome book for any art lover and anyone interested in Noah's Ark.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hierloom quality, to be passed down through the generations., June 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Noah's Ark (Hardcover)

I was introduced to this wonderful book a few years ago by our pastor. I was awestruck by the wonderful illustrations. The text is very interesting and thought provoking, leading me to an even deeper amazement of God's incredible creation. I have purchased this book for our family and will be giving it as a gift to my 2 sons when they marry and/or have children. I am an avid book reader and of all the books I have, this ranks second only to the Bible. I recommend it to everyone.