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Hello. Some stories grow old with time and others remain forever young. The story of Noah, a timeless classic for adults and children alike, is one of my favorites. With the New Year approaching, an the cycle of Torah readings starting anew, it is time for us to sit with our children and revisit these stories of old. This selection retells a famous Biblical story with an educational twist. The story contains an important lesson, worthy of sharing with our little ones. I hope that you and your families enjoy this title, and learn from it as I have. Ever since I was a child, Noah and his ark has always been one of my favorite Biblical stories. The Littlest Pair is a wonderfully imaginative tale. It tells the story of the animals who lived in the ark, in quarters that sometimes got to be just a little too close for comfort. The focus of the story, the "littlest pair" happen to be termites. Unfortunately for them, they are regarded with great suspicion by their fellow travelers. "Who invited you two? You'll eat all the bark and lumber too. When the ark starts sinking, what we will do?" The termites insist that they would never harm the ark but nevertheless, and to their chagrin, they're continually seen by the other animals as potential terrorists. Soon the rain begins to fall and fall and fall. The ark gets wet, they animals lost their footing and they begin to slip about. Noah is very concerned for their safety. "We have to stop this sliding about," he declares. The termites save the day by turning some extra wood into sawdust, giving the animals traction. "Soon there was sawdust in everyone's stall. The ark might sway but no one would fall." The animals are now ashamed of their behavior towards the termites. Noah reminds them "It's important to accept each other's ways. Cause we'll all be together for at least 40 days. We're all God's creatures and to God we all matter." In light of the past year's events, this is an important lesson to be shared and learned by all, children and adults alike. The Littlest Pair is told in rhyme, with colorful illustrations. It's a great book. Floreva G. Cohen |
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Sylvia Rouss has written The Littlest Pair with illustrations by Holly Hannon. The littlest pair are going on Noah's ark. Noah has told the animals that there is going to be a great flood and God has told him to build this big boat that will keep them alive but the animals must come in a line, two by two. The littlest pair are termites whom none of the other animals want to know. Until they make sawdust from left over wood which keeps the animals and Noah from slipping on the boat. Connie Martinson |
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The story of Noah is unquestionably the most retold Bible story for children in story and song. Its appeal is so universal because it contains all the elements of a great children's story - animals, a long journey and a happy ending. This title is kid-friendly and colorful, and their rhyming text makes for a smooth read aloud. The Littlest Pair is the story of a pair of termites. The animals on the ark fear that the wood-eating insects will destroy the ship, but in the end, the termites' special skills save them all. Beth Olson |
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Many times people don't think very much of those who are little. They think that they don't know anything, or that they are undependable. Children are often treated this way. This is not a new way for people to behave. In fact, according to The Littlest Pair, by Sylvia Rouss, illustrated by Holly Hannon , it even happened when Noah built the ark. All the animals watched, "wide-eyed, in awe," as Noah built an ark, as God had commanded him to do. When he was finished, Noah explained that there would be a great flood and that "you won't find a dry place to stand." All the animals lined up, two of each kind, to go into the ark, so that they would be safe. But when the littlest pair arrived, everyone got upset. Why? Because the littlest pair were termites. Now, if you know anything about termites, you will know that they can be dangerous to have around. They eat wood, sometimes so much wood that they can make a piece of furniture, or even a whole building, fall apart. Including an ark. All the animals panicked. "Somebody dooo something,!" begged the cow with a moo. "The lion began pacing and started to roar." And as for the spider, "Her heart was aflutter. Her legs began shaking." You can imagine how the poor termites felt when the other animals began yelling at them. They started to cry, and got very sad. Luckily, Noah ignored what the animals were saying, and welcomed the termites onto the ark. A lucky thing it was, too. You see, when it started raining, all the animals started to slip and stumble and tumble all over the place. Even Noah couldn't figure out what to do. Well, guess who saved the day. That's right - the termites. "We can make sawdust to give you some traction./Just say the word and we'll spring into action." That's just what they did. Noah gave them some leftover wood, and the termites chewed it all up until it became sawdust. There was enough sawdust to line everyone's stall so that no one would slip and hurt themselves. Everyone felt very badly for the way they had treated the termites. " 'We're sorry,' they said to the littlest pair. 'We weren't too nice. We were very unfair.'" There is a lot that you can learn from The Littlest Pair - not to judge, to be kind to those who are different than you and to give everyone a chance. After all, as Noah says, "We're all God's creatures and to God, we all matter." But this book isn't just a way to teach lessons. The colours are lovely, with bright yellows, oranges, purples and blues, and all the animals have really cute faces. I especially like the snake, who has a big smile on his face. I also like that the animals come on board the ark carrying suitcases. The whole book is written in rhyme, which you will really enjoy. For instance, "The elephant almost fell off of the Ark./ And right up his trunk slid a startled aardvark." Leila Speisman |