Mrs Noah's Pockets - Hardcover

Morris, Jackie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 191095909X ISBN 13: 9781910959091

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books, 2018

Synopsis

"At last all were gathered inside the ark. It heaved with animals, large and small. Mrs Noah wore a brand-new coat, with a hood and a cape – and very deep pockets. Lots of pockets."

When Mr Noah builds the ark, he makes two lists - one for all the animals who will come on board and one for those troublesome creatures he will leave behind. Meanwhile, Mrs Noah gets out her sewing machine and makes a coat with very deep pockets. Lots of pockets.

About this title

About the Author

JACKIE MORRIS is an author and illustrator, photographer and painter. She lives in a small house beside the sea in St. David's, Wales surrounded by animals. Her many books include the bestseller The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane (House of Anansi, 2018), for which she was awarded the 2019 Kate Greenaway Medal; Tell Me a Dragon; The Snow Leopard; The Wild Swans and Ted Hughes’s How the Whale Became.

JAMES MAYHEW is an author, artist and storyteller whose books reflect his passionate advocacy of the arts for young children. His imaginative Katie series invites readers to step inside famous paintings, Ella Bella Ballerina explores classic ballets, and other works feature folk tales and stories from opera and Shakespeare. James Mayhew lives in Baldock, Hertfordshire.

Review

"In an adaptation of the popular Bible story, readers meet Mrs. Noah, who has sewn deep pockets into her coat, as Mr. Noah prepares the ark.Many readers will already be familiar with the Abrahamic tale of Noah. In this version, the story shows Noah in a rather more fallible light: Not only is Mr. Noah making a list of animals that shall be spared, but he also sees the crisis as an "ideal time to get rid of those more troublesome creatures." However, Mrs. Noah has another plan in mind. As Noah goes to work on the "biggest boat the world has ever seen," Mrs. Noah gets out her sewing machine and begins to stitch a coat with the deepest pockets the world will ever know. As the storm rages, the children believe they see things moving in Mrs. Noah's deep pockets. Luckily, Mrs. Noah is able to keep it all together until the ark finally returns to land, when she's able to lift these misunderstood creatures out of her pocket and into freedom on the new land. Depicting characters of various skin tones (Mrs. Noah is brown while Mr. Noah is pale), Mayhew's flowing, vivid mixed-media illustrations give this book a warm texture all its own. With themes relevant to today's international struggles over exclusion, scarcity, and prejudice, this reinvention is a beautiful and necessary parable for our time." (Picture book/religion. 4-8) (Kirkus Starred Review)

"Lyrical, witty, SO beautiful, and just a tiny bit subversive. Superb." (Playing by the Book)

"The beautiful, other-worldly illustrations by James Mayhew encapsulate the dreamlike feel of the story; they combine collage, shape and print-making to excellent effect. The lyrical text carries a significant message about our stewardship of the world." (Parents in Touch)

About this edition

• Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 191095909X
• ISBN 13: 9781910959091
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Mayhew James