First published 2017
Abel has always lived comfortably in his mouse world. His mother provides his allowance, he enjoys a cozy home, and he adores his wife Amanda. Then a violent August storm changes everything. Raging floodwaters sweep him away from all he knows and strand him on an empty island. Abel refuses to give up. He constructs makeshift boats and ties together ropes. He attempts to cross the rushing river on stepping stones. Nothing works. The days stretch into weeks, then months. His pampered lifestyle vanishes as survival takes over. He hunts for food in unfamiliar terrain. He builds a shelter inside a hollow log for warmth. Loneliness drives him to sculpt clay figures of his family members. Through it all, one thought consumes him: finding a way across that river and back to Amanda. Abel must shed his soft city ways and discover strengths he never knew he possessed.
Genres: fiction, animals, adventure, coming-of-age
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Island
Period: August
128 pages · Paperback · Pushkin Children's Books