English Literature
The following inventory assembles English language texts inspired by (in whole or in part) the Book of Jonah (cf. →DBTEL, 409–411).
- Thomas and Robert, A Looking Glasse for London and England (ca. 1590). This play accuses England of the sins of Nineveh.
- Francis, A Feast for Wormes (1620). This piece focuses on God’s mercy and repentance, with christological imagery.
- Daniel, Robinson Crusoe (1719). When Crusoe is presumed to have brought bad luck to the ship, the captain compares him to Jonah and asks him a series of questions similar to those in Jon 1:8.
- William, The Four Zoas (1797). Jonah is oppressed by an evil spirit.
- Alfred Lord, The Princess (1847). A transient good is referred to as a “Jonah’s gourd.”
- Aldous, Jonah (1917). Huxley idealizes the fish’s innards.
- James, Jonah and the Whale (1932). Jonah is a terrible person whose behavior undermines his religious claims.
- Abraham Moses, Jonah (1933). Klein likewise idealizes the fish’s innards; Jonah’s vomiting forth from the fish is likened to the expulsion from paradise.
- Laurence, The Burden of Nineveh (1942). This book gives a naturalist interpretation of the story, while also emphasizing obedience to God.
- Robert, A Masque of Mercy (1947). In a contemporary setting, Jonah, Paul, and an egalitarian discuss God’s justice and mercy.
- Wolf, It Should Happen to a Dog (1956). Jonah is a timid and resentful salesman.
- Gordon, So Why Does That Weirdo Prophet Keep Watching the Water? (1972).
God Is More Merciful Than His Mediators
- J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), Letter to his grandson Michael, 24 April 1957: “Incidentally, if you ever look at the Old Testament, and look at Jonah you’ll find that the ‘whale’—it is not really said to be a whale, but a big fish—is quite unimportant. The real point is that God is much more merciful than ‘prophets’, is easily moved by penitence, and won’t be dictated by high ecclesiastics whom he has himself appointed” (British Library MS Add. 71657, cited in →, 2:438).
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 (→, 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
- Tilda, Oh No, Jonah! Minneapolis MN: Kar-Ben, 2012.
Alice Joyce, The Story of Jonah, Norwalk CT: Gibson, 1984.
Mordicai, Jonah and the Two Great Fish, New York NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
- Rebecca, Jonah and the Big Fish and Other Bible Stories, Minneapolis MN: Spark House Family, 2015.
- Rhonda Gowler, Jonah and the Great Big Fish, Grand Rapids MI: Zonderkidz, 2007.
- Mary, Animals of the Bible, New York NY: Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2003.
- Warwick, Jonah and the Great Fish, New York NY: Atheneum, 1983.
- Graham, How God Fix Jonah, New York NY: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1946.
- Dandi Daley, Jonah and the Fish, Carol Stream IL: Tyndale House, 2016.
- Jean, Jonah and the Whale (and the Worm), New York NY: Little, Brown, and Company, 2004.
- Patricia and Fredrick, Let My People Go: Bible Stories Told by a Freeman of Color, New York NY: Atheneum, 1998.
- Nick and Claire, Jonah the Moaner, Berkhamsted: Make Believe Ideas, 2006.
- Smith Brendan, Jonah and the Whale: The Brick Bible for Kids, New York NY: Sky Pony Press, 2014.
- Sheryl, Deuteronomy, New York NY: Pitspopany, 1999.
- Peter, The Book of Jonah, New York NY: Doubleday, 1985.