The Ultimate Noah’s Ark

A challenging puzzle for adults and children alike asks readers to search among the 707 paired animals that populate Noah’s ark for the single creature that is without a mate.

This picture book portrays the biblical story, “Noah’s Ark”. The accompanying text lists each animal represented in the painting, and gives background information about their habitats, size and breeding habits, as well as pointers to their appearance. The text also provides details about the folklore or mythology of the animals. In keeping with the original story Mike Wilks paints 707 creatures (353 pairs of each sex), but one single creature has been painted one, without its mate. The mystery of the painting, and the object of the competition, is to find and name a solitary beast, thereby restoring the harmony and balance to the picture. Some pairs of animals are easy to spot while others are concealed in all manner of guises. The painting demands observers to see the animals and see things for what they really are.