When God orders Noah to bring two of every animal into the ark, the Creator also tells his wife Naamah to gather all the plants on earth for the journey. It is meant to be a new beginning for both humankind and the natural world. And so obediently Noah and Naamah do as they are told. She picks up acorns, nuts, winged seeds for trees, and seeds for flowers from amaryllis to the zinnia. Naamah is amazed at the varieties of the fruits and vegetables. They are taken aboard the ark where she creates a garden that is not to be used for food. After forty days and nights of rain, Naamah goes to dry land and faithfully plants all the seeds. Then she reverences the trees, the plants, and the flowers.
A Prayer for the Earth: The Story of Naamah, Noah's Wife is written by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso with illustrations by Bethanne Andersen. Sasso is a rabbi, an award-winning author of children's books, and one of our favorite spiritual writers. This top-drawer story about Noah's wife and her nurturing love of trees, plants, and flowers is designed for children ages four through eight. It is nondenominational and nonsectarian. The book also compels us to recognize and honor the beauty and the bounty of the good earth and the Creator's love for all living things.
