| "With
inimitable style, Steig tells the story of a mouse, Abelard Hassam
di Chirico Flint, who gets swept away in a driving rainstorm while
rescuing his wife's scarf and winds up stranded on a river island
for a year . . . You can't help but give a cheer for Abel and his
creator." --*Starred/Booklist
Awards
Newbery Honor Book
ALA Notable Book
Horn Book Fanfare
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Honor Book
New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the
Year
New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
Reviews
Booklist - *starred review
With inimitable style, Steig tells the story of a mouse,
Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint, who gets swept away in a driving
rainstorm while rescuing his wife's scarf and winds up stranded on a
river island for a year. Abel isn't just any mouse. He's
a fastidious Edwardian dandy whose inherited wealth ensures the
leisurely comforts he takes pleasure in. Indeed, on the day of
his misfortune he was picnicking with his lovely wife, Amanda
(sharing an eloquent spread of delicate cheese sandwiches and
watercress, along with quail eggs, onions, olives and black caviar)
until it was "inconsiderate" enough to rain. But
Abel's high-toned life of leisure conceals a soul full of true grit:
once faced with the necessity of surviving, Abel rises to the
challenge. After several escape attempts fail, he fashions a
secure, if primitive, home in a log and eats well on the healthy
supply of wild seeds and grasses that surround him. He finds
an abandoned book which he reads daily, but more pleasantly surprising
are his newfound sculpting abilities, discovered when shaping
figures of loved ones to ease his loneliness. There's an
interlude of easy companionship with a senile frog who promises to
send rescuers but forgets. Abel's experiences during his
enforced solitude sparks a new, meaningful outlook on life, as well
as some peace of mind, but they don't eclipse his longing for family
and friends. It's a summer drought that finally occasions his
escape; with the water level lowered, a now wiry Abel strikes out
for home, where he quips to the joyous Amanda, "I've brought
you back your scarf." The author's pen-and-wash drawings
are an added treat. You can't help but give a cheer for
Abel and his creator.
School Library Journal -
*starred review
Abel -- short for Abelard -- is another of Steig's sure-fire
charmers. When a fierce storm interrupts an idyllic picnic being
enjoyed by dandified mouse Abel and his recent bride Amanda, Abel is
swept away from his sheltered life by a torrent of water and
marooned indefinitely on a river island. Mustering his inner
resources, he learns to make fire, sets up housekeeping in a hollow
log, and begins storing food for winter. But all is not sheer
survival; inspired by his natural surroundings, Abel takes up
sculpture and discovers his true vocation; he also dreams of his
dear Amanda and wonders about the meaning of it all. After some
close calls with a hungry owl and a tough, discouraging winter,
spring brings Abel's first visitor -- a fat, old, absent-minded but
loveable frog who has been swept off course himself. The frog
eventually departs with promises to send rescuers, but none arrives.
At last, after a dry summer, the river falls enough so that Abel can
swim it himself and make his way to a joyous homecoming. Abel's
adventures are presented with Steig's usual grace, warmth, and
insight, and the delights of the text are further enhanced by his
black-and-white drawings. On all counts, it's a winner.
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Abel's
Island