The Enduring Ark

This striking retelling of the story of Noah and his wife (here Noah and Na’mah) is not actually a book. It comes in a slip case, and, although it has a hard cover and is so cleverly constructed that you can read it perfectly well as a book, it is in fact a double-sided concertina scroll, which, opened out, reveals the full glory of the spectacular illustrations. Although the text is fine as a retelling, it is the form of the book and the illustrations, in the traditional Bengal Patua style, which grab your attention. The scroll, produced here in a robust card, is an ancient form that could very well have more mileage in modern picturebook production; and Chitrakar’s folk naïf illustrations are bold and vivid, with colours that remind me of vegetable fabric dyes. It’s a work that is a thing of beauty in itself and should fascinate children with the ingenuity of its presentation, the culture that it reflects, and its particular way of representing the world. Anyone wanting to inspire children to create their own stories or just to think of the way in which narratives can unfold (to use a scroll inspired metaphor) should get hold of a copy.