The Lifeboat that Saved the World

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The original account of the great flood, carved onto stone tablets in ancient cuneiform script, lay forgotten for thousands of years until recently, when it was rediscovered and deciphered by Irving Finkel. Now this story - perhaps the oldest in the world - is retold for children.

Its ancient Babylonian hero, Atra-hasis, is - just like Noah - ordered by his god to build a lifeboat to keep his family and all the animals safe until the flood is over. Unlike Noah, Atra-hasis is asked to build a round coracle the size of a football pitch - and given very precise instructions to follow. Told from the perspective both of the central hero, Astra-hasis, and his youngest son, Very Quick, this remarkable story is supplemented with asides that give fascinating insights into daily life in Ancient Mesopotamia as well as the historical sources for the story, and includes photographs of the life-size reconstruction of Astra-hasis' coracle from a recent project led by the author.

A tale of destruction on an unthinkable scale and survival against the odds, The Lifeboat that Saved the World is a story that has truly stood the test of time, and the first in a new series of books that retell myths and legends through the eyes of a child.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-7-Most young people are familiar with the story of Noah and the Great Flood from the Bible, but an older version of this event from ancient Mesopotamian lore exists-and is the focus of this work. The author provides a careful and detailed explanation of how this story was found and why, after thousands of years, people are still able to decipher the ancient cuneiform. In the retelling, Finkel uses bold type to indicate where his text uses exact words from the cuneiform original, which is not frequent; but it is significant in the details of its content. The story itself is rich in its characterization and the arguments between the gods are humorous. The author clearly has a passion for this subject, and while readers might not pick this title up on their own, it will appeal to teens (as well as adult readers) with an interest in ancient epics. VERDICT A possible addition to middle school libraries for curriculum support, or for readers with specific interests in ancient Mesopotamia, the Great Flood, or cuneiform writing.-Kerry Sutherland, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

This historical novel relates the story of a Babylonian ark (similar to but pre-dating Noah's story) as translated from ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets; direct translations are interspersed in bold to support Finkel's expanded narrative. The writing wavers between classical and colloquial, sometimes confusingly, and the black-and-white illustrations are a bit muddy. A package best appreciated by ancient-history buffs. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Many are familiar with the biblical story of Noah's Ark. Finkel retells a much earlier ark tale, discovered in the cuneiform writing of the people of Mesopotamia.Very-quick, a 9-year-old boy, overhears Enki, one of the gods, tell his father, Atra-hasis, that he must build a giant coracle, a round boat, and "save life." Enki is very specific about its construction, which is a good thing since Atra-hasis doesn't know much of anything about boat building. Fortunately, he's able to convince many neighbors to help out, since the scale of the boat is immense, and he's only got seven days to both complete the work and gather up pairs of all the world's animals. Happily, the animals start arriving on their own as soon as the boat is completed. Inserted in the fable is one chapter from the point of view of the gods, one of whom, highly cantankerous (and the most powerful), is tired of humankind; their group dynamics are almost humorousand very human, as well. Finkel includes direct quotes from the ancient cuneiform tablets in bold type. Giles' nave, black-and-white illustrations enhance the presentation. Brief and presented in relatively simple language, this story is both amusing and intriguing. A fascinating tale, worthy of retelling, that includes plenty of smoothly incorporated details of life in Mesopotamia. (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.