Review: Noah and His Wagon
Noah and His Wagon
by Jerry Ruff, illustrated by Katrijn Jacobs
Kalaniot Books (imprint of Endless Mountain), 2025
Category: Picture Books
Reviewer: Jeanette Lazar
Several plot lines intermingle to create what becomes a meditation on kindness for the young reader. Noah and His Wagon begins with the story of Paloma, whose best friend has moved away, whose mother rushes off to work, and whose older sister pays more attention to her phone than to her charge. Enter Noah, who's new to the neighborhood but whose wagon seems to be a magnet for those in need. After introductions that include the backstories of Bucket the dog and Mitzvah the cat, we meet Mrs. Willow. Noah helps her with her groceries once a week. The expanding band of do-gooders arrive at the park. There we meet Seymour on the swing. And we find a sad Mikhail in the sandbox. Time for a cookie break for all, that dissolves as the rain begins to fall. That night, As Paloma curls up in bed with Bucket, she finds she no longer feels alone.
Paloma’s loss of her best friend is a childhood trauma that is portrayed with sensitivity and warmth. Each of the characters we meet bring themselves, in need and/or in friendship, to this episodic tale. There is a lot of movement in the colorful and happy illustrations that help us see the neighborhood and its inhabitants from different vantage points. The characters move through the illustrations with engaged facial expressions and changing emotions. There is a lot to look at in the details and a lot to discuss in the choices and adventures of the characters involved.
Diversity and inclusion infuse the story. The characters are of different ages. The illustrations reflect skin tones of different colors. Paloma says, “Hola,” when she meets Noah. Noah explains that his cat’s name, Mitzvah, means commandment in Hebrew. He goes on to tell Paloma that the hat on his head is a “kippah.” No further cultural context is given for these words, neither within the text nor in an Afterword. Nevertheless, the story is imbued with Jewish values. Noah embodies a young person who is trying to make the world a better place. Tikkun Olam, the Jewish obligation to repair a broken world, is clearly at the center of the story.
I can imagine an adult with a child in their lap enjoying this picture book. It’s never too early to start teaching about personal responsibility and generosity of spirit. Even the very young can reach out and extend a hand. You never know where you will find community. You can not learn to be kind alone. You need to practice, again and again, in a world full of characters.
Paloma’s loss of her best friend is a childhood trauma that is portrayed with sensitivity and warmth. Each of the characters we meet bring themselves, in need and/or in friendship, to this episodic tale. There is a lot of movement in the colorful and happy illustrations that help us see the neighborhood and its inhabitants from different vantage points. The characters move through the illustrations with engaged facial expressions and changing emotions. There is a lot to look at in the details and a lot to discuss in the choices and adventures of the characters involved.
Diversity and inclusion infuse the story. The characters are of different ages. The illustrations reflect skin tones of different colors. Paloma says, “Hola,” when she meets Noah. Noah explains that his cat’s name, Mitzvah, means commandment in Hebrew. He goes on to tell Paloma that the hat on his head is a “kippah.” No further cultural context is given for these words, neither within the text nor in an Afterword. Nevertheless, the story is imbued with Jewish values. Noah embodies a young person who is trying to make the world a better place. Tikkun Olam, the Jewish obligation to repair a broken world, is clearly at the center of the story.
I can imagine an adult with a child in their lap enjoying this picture book. It’s never too early to start teaching about personal responsibility and generosity of spirit. Even the very young can reach out and extend a hand. You never know where you will find community. You can not learn to be kind alone. You need to practice, again and again, in a world full of characters.
Note: This Kalaniot edition is a paperback reprint of a book published in 2022 by Clavis.
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Reviewer Jeanette Brod currently works in the Children’s Department at the New Milford, CT, Public Library. She has been the Director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Sholom in New Milford, CT, and the Vice-President of the Children’s Book Council in New York City. Jeanette holds a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from Indiana University, Bloomington. She and her husband, Sasha, are the proud parents of two grown children.
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