Ark in the Park
Illustrated by Kerry Millard
first published: 1994
publisher: Angus & Robertson, Australia
age group: 6 to 8 years
length: 72 pages
ISBN: 0-207-17633-7
Description:
The story of a lonely girl in a big city, who wishes two impossible wishes - for pets and grandparents - and one wish that is not quite impossible.
Excerpt:
It was the biggest, the strangest, the most wonderful pet shop in the whole
world.
"After all," said Mrs Noah, "with a name like ours, what other kind of shop
could we have?"
"And after all," said Mr Noah, "with a name like ours, how else could we
build it?"
So they called it The Noahs' Ark, and they built it like a ship.
It filled two whole blocks of the city they lived in, and instead of rocking
on the deep blue sea, it sat in the middle of a wide green park.
It had tall sails made of white glass, and the birds nested high up in the
masts, and sang and swooped back and forth and up and down inside the sails.
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 Wendy's Comments:
My first thought for Ark was an image for a picture book, of a small crowded
pet store - a warm, dark cave of a room. I'm not quite sure how that grew
into a ship in full sail, filling two city blocks!
But even once the ark appeared, I thought that it was going to be a story
about a child coming to terms with never being allowed a pet of her own. It
wasn't until I'd finished several drafts that I realised what the real theme
was and where it had come from.
read more
Reviews:
"A beguiling, loving and magical story" (From Australian Children's Book Council judges' report, 1995.)
Purchasing Information:
Ark in the Park is currently in various editions and can be found in bookshops in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Japan and France.
Or you can purchase it online:
in Australia at The Well
in the USA at Amazon
in the UK at Amazon UK
in Germany at Amazon.de
in France at Amazon.co.fr
in Japan at Amazon.co.jp
Awards:
Book of the Year for Younger Readers, Childrens Book Council of Australia, 1995
Shortlisted, Australian Family Awards, 1995
Shortlisted, KOALA Awards, 1996
Shortlisted, Children's Crown Award, 2002–2003, USA
Editions and Translations:
 Published in Japan by the Tuttle Mori Agency, 1996, ISBN 4-7515-1882-8
in theUK by Chart Books, 1997
in theUSA by Henry Holt, 2000, ISBN 0-8050-6221-1 51595 (hardback),
ISBN 0-8050-6818-X 50695 (paperback)
in Canada by H.B. Fenn and Company, 2000
in France in FRENCH as L'arche des Noés by Castor Poche Flammarion, 2001, FP 4800 01-1 catégorie C
and in Italy soon to be published in ITALIAN by RCS Libri & Grandi Opere (coming in 2002)
and as an audio book by Outloud, Louis Braille Audio, read by Jackie Kelleher, 1995, ISBN 1-876890-19-3
Wendy's Recommendations:
If you liked Ark in the Park, I think you'll also enjoy these books:
Yasou Nikki
Micki Moon and Daniel Day
And by other authors:
Abdullah's Butterfly by Janine Fraser
Tangles by Errol Broome
More About This Book:
Teachers' Resources
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