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William Steig

Abel's Island Kindle Edition

by William Steig (Author, Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

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William's Steig's Abel's Island tells the story of a mouse who gets swept away from his beloved wife—a truly timeless classic about life's simple pleasures.

Abel's place in his familiar, mouse world has always been secure; he had an allowance from his mother, a comfortable home, and a lovely wife, Amanda. But one stormy August day, furious flood water carry him off and dump him on an uninhabited island. Despite his determination and stubborn resourcefulness--he tried crossing the river with boats and ropes and even on stepping-stones--Abel can't find a way to get back home.

Days, then weeks and months, pass. Slowly, his soft habits disappear as he forages for food, fashions a warm nest in a hollow log, models clay statues of his family for company, and continues to brood on the problem of how to get across the river--and home.

Abel's time on the island brings him a new understanding of the world he's separated from. Faced with the daily adventure of survival in his solitary, somewhat hostile domain, he is moved to reexamine the easy way of life he had always accepted and discovers skills and talents in himself that hold promise of a more meaningful life, if and when he should finally return to Mossville and his dear Amanda again.

Abel's Island is a 1976 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, and a 1977 Newbery Honor Book. It was adapted to a short animated film directed by Michael Sporn in 1988.

Reading age

5 - 10 years, from customers
Print length

132 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

920L
Publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication date

July 30, 2013
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Enabled
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Enhanced typesetting

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Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
ISBN-13

978-0374300104
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One summer day, newlywed mice Abel and Amanda are out for a picnic in the woods when they are caught in a sudden storm--a "full-fledged, screaming hurricane" to be precise. As they take refuge in a cave, a wind scoops up Amanda's scarf, and Abel foolishly lunges from safety to retrieve it. So begins William Steig's Newbery Honor Book Abel's Island, the ensuing adventures of this rather foppish mouse as he comes head to head with nature. Amazingly, Abel is swept up in a stream, then a river, then eventually marooned on an island (about 12,000 tails long). He is sure that his rescue is imminent: "It's certainly gotten around that Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint, of the Mossville Flints, is missing," the society mouse speculates. But he is not so lucky. What will this intelligent, imaginative rodent do to get off the island and back to his beloved Amanda? He busies himself with finding ways to get to shore (including bridges, boats, catapults, stepping stones, and gliders); figuring out what he should eat (everything from mulberries to roasted seeds); and investigating where he should take shelter (in a rotten log). As the weeks and months go by, he misses his books, his paintings, his comfortable stuffed chair, his stylish clothes (now damp, torn, and lumpy), but above all his precious wife Amanda, whom he thinks about constantly. As the mouse faces his new life Robinson Crusoe-style, Abel discovers what it's like to be in tune with the natural world as well as his true nature, and what it's like to return, fortified, to his real home and to the arms of the one he loves. Along the way, readers can't help but rediscover the joys of being alive. (Ages 8 and older, but an engaging read-aloud for younger children, too) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, including Shrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based. Steig was born in New York City. Every member of his family was involved in the arts, and so it was no surprise when he decided to become an artist. He attended City College and the National Academy of Design. In 1930, Steig’s work began appearing in The New Yorker, where his drawings have been a popular fixture ever since. He published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968. In 1970, Steig received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. His books for children also include Dominic; The Real Thief; The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book; Amos & Boris, a National Book Award finalist; and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. Steig's books have also received the Christopher Award, the Irma Simonton Black Award, the William Allen White Children's Book Award, and the American Book Award. His European awards include the Premio di Letteratura per l'infanzia (Italy), the Silver Pencil Award (the Netherlands), and the Prix de la Fondation de France. On the basis of his entire body of work, Steig was selected as the 1982 U.S. candidate for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration and subsequently as the 1988 U.S. candidate for Writing. Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, beginning with About People in 1939, and including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, The Agony in the Kindergarten, and Our Miserable Life. He died in Boston at the age of 95. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DTDFO2E
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (July 30, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 30, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5756 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 132 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0312371438

Best Sellers Rank: #551,364 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #191 in Children's Mice & Small Animal Stories
- #332 in Children's Books on Values
- #355 in Children's New Family Experiences Books

Customer Reviews:
292 ratings

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William Steig

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William Steig (1907–2003) published his first children’s book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, and received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (978-1416902065) in 1970. His works also include The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Abel’s Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. His most recent books published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux are Shrek! (released by DreamWorks as a major motion picture) and Wizzil, illustrated by Quentin Blake. School Library Journal named Shrek! a Best Book of 1990 and said of it, "Steig's inimitable wit and artistic dash have never been sharper or more expertly blended."

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

292 global ratings

5 star		83%
4 star		10%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Jim Carlisle

Perfect Read-Aloud Book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 9, 2023

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This is a wonderful story. I used to read this aloud to my fourth grade students. It lends itself to interesting discussions and problem solving activities. It will also introduce readers to some unique and interesting vocabulary.

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Alyssa Donati

A privileged mouse without his Camembert and Montrechet ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

I loved William Steig as a child and was eager to introduce his work to my daughter. She has read Amos and Borris, Dr. De Soto and Sylvester and The Magic Pebble and she recently finished Abel's Island and declared it was her second favorite book of all time! (Charlotte's Web is still in the lead.)

The story is about a wealthy mouse named Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint who lives quite a stylish and pampered lifestyle until the day he is swept away in a ferocious rainstorm while attempting to rescue his wife Amanda's scarf. He ends up stranded on an island where he is forced to ponder ways to survive. Having lived so luxuriously (purely relying on his mother's inheritance) Abel is unaccustomed to having to fend for himself but we soon discover he is an extremely tenacious little creature with a dogged, unflagging spirit. He is determined to survive and is quite an imaginative and resourceful rodent. When a voracious owl begins to hunt him he masterfully evades it. He scurries along in his torn, tattered clothes, eventually finding shelter in hollowed out log. He scavenges for seeds (as opposed to his normal repast of champagne, croissant and caviar) and attempts to build vessels and bridges to get back to civilization. He fails constantly, but perseveres. (A great lesson, of course, for any child.) As the months go by Abel realizes he may never return to his beloved Amanda or his security and opulence, however he also begins to question that sybaritic lifestyle and if he really desires it. He starts to make peace with his life on the island. He gains an appreciation of nature and discovers a courageousness he never knew he had. He is, ultimately, smarter and bolder and emotionally richer because of the entire experience.

Abel's Island is a beautifully written book with divine illustrations. It's quite similar to Robinson Crusoe and my daughter was enchanted by it. She genuinely cared about Abel and was proud of how he persevered against the odds. She also readily absorbed the books major themes about survival and what constitutes a meaningful life.

4 people found this helpful

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B Robinson

Great read aloud selection!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

So much fun to read to my 3rd grade class!

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Mike Orr

A childhood classic of mine.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

Glad to have this in hard cover.
I'm not a big book guy but this one means a lot to me. I remember reading this in 5th grade. Always drawing pictures in the style of this book and coming up with my own adventures for Abel in my head and on paper.

2 people found this helpful

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Bea C.

Wish I had a kid to read it to!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 8, 2022

Wonderful fantasy!

The Odyssey of an Elegant Mouse

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

It's been a while since I read a contemplative book meant for all ages. Sad that I had to dig so far back, to one published in 1976. I wish more of this kind, not hung up on swift dialogue and never ending outrageous deeds. This is a mediation on inner-strength that is served as a tale of survival, but in a rather quiet way. {I deliberately used "rather," as the voice is refined and civilized in that elegant way we associate with old fashioned, and British, narration.}
A lovely picnic turns wet and stormy, and a loving husband, who happens to be mouse, is separated from his beloved because he chases her scarf, blown off by the raging wind. It is unclear if his scarf retrieval is an act of chivalry, or obsessive possessiveness. Possibly both. This one grand gesture winds up marooning this husband for a year, on an island, as he longs to make his way back to his wife mouse.
A re-telling of the Odyssey, it works with charm and none of the literary hang-ups of writers who worry about too much tell (it's mostly that) or lowering the vocabulary to kid-friendly words. The result is a small masterpiece.

14 people found this helpful

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Grandma Gonnabe

Wonderful book for pre-teens

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

I bought this book for our 8-year-old granddaughter. When our daughter was in school, she loved this book.
Our daughter and son-in-law have a rule...one toy for birthdays, Christmas, et cetera. This exception does not apply to books. So that is what we buy our granddaughter.

2 people found this helpful

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JordanJasper

A Precious Gift Rediscovered

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

I'll never forget getting this book as a child the very year it first emerged. It was one of my immediate favorites due to Steig's graceful portrait of the posh city-mouse, Abelard, who discovers the depths of loneliness and the heights of bravery and grit as he struggles to survive being marooned on an island following a terrible storm. This book is one of those kid's tales that has a truly haunting, magical quality that endures long after the last page is read. Part of this is due to Steig's sensitive and clever prose, his insight into the childlike hope and fear that lives-on in every human mind, no matter how young or old we are. I think this work features some of his most exceptional illustrations, too. Just marvelous. If you value your kids' brains in this manic world of chaos and crap, buy them books like this and you'll give them a priceless gift that conveys a sense of spirit and soulfulness for a lifetime.

10 people found this helpful

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Alex Dore

Entranced my boys, aged 5 and 8

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

We read this together over the course of a week or so. At first I thought they weren't getting into it, but I soon realised their silence was concentration and them getting lost in their imaginations as they listened. A week later, walking in the Lake District, they kept talking about the book and trying to point out the island; it's obviously stuck with them. I enjoyed it too and am even bigger fan of William Steig after this book.

2 people found this helpful

Darren

Love this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 7, 2022

Verified Purchase

Childhood memory right there

Sol

Una joya

Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on August 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

Un libro con magia. La historia está narrada con fluidez y con un lenguaje escogido que te hace imaginarte cada escena. Precioso. No es un libro con edad, es para todo el mundo.

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barb

Perfect book.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

The perfect book in every way.. language,plot,philosophy. It’s all there.

John H.

Not a fun children's book. Too much English correctness in all situations.

Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on December 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

I was left cold after a few pages of skimming through this book but then I am not English and I am not a child.

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