Tara's Flight [Hardcover]

Ruth Eitzen (Author), Allan Eitzen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The message of peace - the most welcome news of all. Tara is a dove. Before the flood, she brought messages back and forth between Noah and his family. Now she is confined to the small loft that Noah's grandson has built under the roof of the ark. For forty days and nights, Tara sits patiently in her loft, while outside thunder booms and rain pours down. One day, Noah's grandson comes with a basket to take Tara to the deck of the arc. It's time for her to be a messenger bird again. If Tara returns to the arc, it will mean that Noah's house is still under water. If Tara doesn't return, it means she is waiting at home for the return of Noah and his family. Ruth Eitzen's gentle retelling of Noah, with endearing illustrations by Allan Eitzen, is perfect for young children.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Eitzen retells the story of Noah and the Ark from the viewpoint of Noah’s grandson, Aram, whose pet dove, Tara, serves as messenger. Noah builds the ark and loads all the creatures. Aram’s job as the rain pours down is to feed the birds, and the glowing, mixed-media illustrations show his charges in all their colorful variety next to small white Tara. After the storm, the rainbow appears, and Aram sends Tara back to their old home.When she doesn’t return, everyone knows that she has landed and it is safe to return. A message of peace seems tacked on, but children will be moved by the role of one boy and his pet caught up in the cataclysm and rescue. Decorated with cut-paper pictures flying white birds, the endpapers celebrate the dove as the elemental peace symbol then and now. Grades K-2. --Hazel Rochman

About the Author

Ruth Eitzen was a lifelong peace activist as well as a children's book author. She and her husband, Allan, led literacy workshops in Nepal and in her home town of Barto, Pennsylvania. She died in 2007. Allan Eitzen is the illustrator of a number of children's books including Cherry Tree by Ruskin Bond, My Name Is Hussein by Hyristo Kyuchukov, and Up the Hill and Down: Poems for the Very Young compiled by William Jay Smith. He lives in Litiz, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Pr (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590785630
• ISBN-13: 978-1590785638
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,600,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Take on Noah's Ark, June 6, 2009

By 

MRH "MommyTimes2" (Boyertown, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tara's Flight (Hardcover)

This wonderfully written, wonderfully illustrated book captures the events of the Great Flood from a child's perspective. Peace and love are themes throughout the book. Excellent book for any age.

4.0 out of 5 stars Tara's Flight, June 19, 2008

By 

Jewish Book World Magazine (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tara's Flight (Hardcover)

In this version of the Noah's Ark story, the main character is not Noah, but Aram, Noah's grandson. Aram and Tara, the dove, play together while grandfather Noah is building the ark. Aram helps his grandfather care for the birds during the flood, and it is Aram who gets Tara ready for her important flight to find dry land. The language used to tell the story makes it accessible to elementary school children but not too difficult for preschoolers to understand. The mixed media illustrations allow for bright colors and textures to jump off the pages. Each bird on the page has been created to show their intricacies and personalities. Tara's job has always been as a messenger bird, and she knows the importance of her task. Even after the flood, Tara continues to keep Noah and his family connected, forever insuring the dove as a messenger of peace and well-being. Ages 4-8 Reviewed by Rachel Rosner