Robbie the Raven and Debbie the Dove are best friends who spend every single day together. Debbie, the slightly more anxious of the two, is always firing off questions to her friend Robbie. Luckily for her, Robbie always answers her myriad of questions with honesty and infinite patience! Debbie follows Robbie’s lead in life and is happy to let him take care of big decisions, such as where to fly to and what time to eat their worms.
One day, the two eagle-eyed birds are circling the skies, taking in everything that is happening on Earth below them, just like they do every day, when they notice some unusual activity unfolding below them. Some humans have begun building something out of heavy logs and are working day in and day out. As the feathered friends watch with interest to see the end result of what the humans are so industriously working on, Robbie recognises one of the humans as a man called Noah. He shares with Debbie his theory about what the humans are up to.
Finally, the building work is completed and Robbie and Debbie are amazed at the sheer size of the boat that Noah and his family have managed to build! When the friends notice Noah ushering all the animals of the world onto the deck, Debbie worries that the two of them are going to get left behind and suggest that they join the other animals. Her concerns turn out to be justified when she and Robbie swoop onto the ark just in time before the doors close for the final time!
The two besties stay on the ark with all the other animals for what seems like forever, while rain pours around them every day and every night. Eventually, the rain lets up and Noah chooses Robbie, out of all the animals, to carry out a very special task for him. It is an important task and one which he must perform alone.
Off he flies and Debbie is left alone, without her best friend. However, it is not long before she, too, is selected out of all the animals to fulfil a different, but just as important, mission for Noah. She, too, must do this all by herself. Even though she has been separated from her best friend, who she usually relies on so heavily to answer all her questions about life, Debbie bravely does what Noah asks.
But what exactly did Noah ask Debbie to do? What was the task he gave to Robbie? Will the two friends accomplish their missions and make it back to the ark safely? Will they ever see one another again? Who is going to answer all of Debbie’s questions for her? Read on to find out…
There are so many aspects of this charming tale that will appeal to young readers – Robbie and Debbie’s enduring friendship; following them on their exciting and suspenseful missions; the comforting reassurance that things always turn out all right in the end…to name but a few!
Robbie the Raven and Debbie the Dove offers a unique take on one of the most well-known and popular of the Bible stories. Viewed from a refreshing new angle as seen through the eyes of two high-flying friends, the story addresses the importance of patience, obedience and trusting in God, even when (or especially when!) we don’t know why He is asking us to do certain things for Him.
Using the bravery and obedience of two little birds to illustrate its point, this story teaches children how they need never ever feel alone in the world and how God can use even the smallest of His creatures to do important things which affect the whole world, if we only allow Him to!
