Hurry Up, Noah

by Patricia Shely Mahany, Nan Pollard (Illustrator)

This story is about Noah's Ark and his animals when the days rain forty days and forty nights. It is an adventure that you want to read over and over again.

Genres: Childrens

24 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1986

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many of the details given in this book are accurate from Scripture. However, the presentations of Noah and God are grossly distorted. In this book, God looks down from Heaven and says sadly, “Look at my people…They have forgotten all about me. They are very bad.” Next line: “But there was one man on the earth who was very good. His name was Noah.” No, Noah was not the polar opposite in moral character from everyone else around him. Genesis 6:8 says that Noah “found favor” from the Lord. The word for favor means grace. Noah is only different from his contemporaries because he was the recipient of God’s favor/grace. On the next page of this book, we are told, “One day God said to Noah, ‘I need some help. I want you to make a big, big boat. I will tell you just how to do it.’” God didn’t tell Noah to build the ark because he needed help, like he was unable to do it. There is also the repeated emphasis on every other page of “Hurry up, Noah,” and do such and such. Coupled with the description already mentioned of Noah, this book contains way too much emphasis throughout the entire story on Noah’s obedience with the subliminal message of salvation by works. (Yes, Noah’s obedience to God’s commands is an important aspect of the Flood narrative in Scripture, but not the central point as seemingly implied in this book.) These errors may not seem like a big deal to some, but children are smarter than we think and ponder the meanings of what they read. The implications of these passages are wrought with all kinds of false teaching. Best to avoid this book for reading with children.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of Bible stories for many reasons but I know it is very important to explain the stories in the correct way for the age of the audience. I cannot say if this version depicts the true meaning of this story but the illustrations are good.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story well and has plenty to look at.