Jonah and the Whale (and the Worm)
PreSchool-Grade 3–Marzollo continues her series of accessible retellings of Bible stories. After God releases Jonah from the whale, the prophet remains reluctant to fulfill God's mandate that he preach to the Ninevites. He finally does so, and although they change their ways, Jonah still feels that they should be punished for their past sins. As he waits outside the city, hoping that God will destroy at least part of it, he observes the actions of a humble cutworm and learns a lesson about God's love that convinces him to forgive his enemies. The expressive watercolor illustrations and gentle text provide a solid starting point for collaborative reading and discussion. The text alternates between omniscient narration and dialogue between Jonah and God. Tiny octopuses in the margins also comment on the tale, foreshadowing events and prompting page turns. This book is a fun, unpretentious take on a favorite old story.–Anne M. Holcomb, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.