La Bible en ses Traditions

Jonah: Literary Influence

English Literature

The following inventory assembles English language texts inspired by (in whole or in part) the Book of Jonah (cf. →DBTEL, 409–411).

God Is More Merciful Than His Mediators
Children’s Adaptations of the Book of Jonah

The Book of Jonah is frequently included in contemporary children’s adaptations of the Bible. It often closes out the Christian OT and is often—and perhaps most often—found depicted on the cover of children’s Bibles. Jonah has several characteristics that may lead to its selection for children’s books: brevity, the giant fish, and a clear moral—especially if one focuses on Jon 1–2. Yet the Book of Jonah also poses some challenges to those adapting the story for children, the most significant of these surely being the ending. While most adaptations fashion Jonah into a moral tale with a flawed, but ultimately positive role-model (→Dalton 2007, 306–307), a few make use of elements either from the text itself or its later interpretations to portray Jonah with creativity and humor.

Morals: Dealing with an Open Ended End

The open-ended conclusion to the story is challenging for its adaptation as a children’s book. Although many do not even include Jon 4, those that do frequently add material to conclude the story more satisfactorily for children, such as a moral lesson (e.g., Jonah has a change of heart or learns how to forgive) or humor (Jonah goes scuba diving in Tarshish; Literature Jon 4:11a). 

Ellipsis of Chapters 3 and 4 

While some adaptations wrestle with the book’s open ending, others remove chapters three and four, focusing on Jonah’s decision to go to Tarshish and on his change of heart due to the time spent in the belly of the fish. This narrower scope makes presenting a moral easier (Literature Jon 3:3a).

Beyond Morals: Historical or Scientific Information

The educational aspects of children’s adaptations are not limited to morals. Several books include historical content regarding Nineveh or proposals about how Jonah could survive in the fish (Literature Jon 1:2).

Having Fun with Jonah

Some adaptations highlight or incorporate humor into the narrative. The depiction of sailors throwing Jonah overboard may be deemed inappropriate for young children (although it is frequently included in the retellings). The grim scene can be mitigated with humor, such as throwing a tea party (Literature Jon 1:15a). Several adaptations humorously describe the fish’s vomiting of Jonah, supply additional characters for comic relief (Literature Jon 1:15a), or give Jonah humorous lines (Literature Jon 4:6ad,7b,9b,10b). 

Jewish Adaptations

Although Christian adaptations make many changes, they are generally unconnected to Midrash and traditional interpretations of the book. Gerstein’s is an example of a children’s adaptation of Jonah that consciously makes use of these traditions to creatively depict the story for children. Others use Jonah to reflect on Jewish traditions connected with Yom Kippur (Jewish Tradition Jon 1:17a).

What about the Worm?

Very few adaptations include information about the worm. Those that do are notable for going beyond a simple moralizing tale about obedience (Literature Jon 4:7a).

Primary Works Consulted