★ 美國紐伯瑞兒童文學銀牌獎


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.


老鼠亞伯一直以來都安身立命在他熟悉的老鼠世界裡，有母親給她零用錢，金錢無虞，一個溫暖的小窩以及嬌妻亞曼達陪在身旁。然而，八月的某天，來了一場暴風雨，無情的洪水沖走了牠，把牠帶到了一個無人居住的小島上。牠靠著毅力及機智嘗試用各種方式渡河，不論是用船，繩子還是踩著石頭，卻仍舊無法成功返家。一天天，一周周，一年年就這樣過去了。漸漸的，環境使牠嬌生慣養的習慣消失了：亞伯開始自己尋找食物，想辦法在一個中空的圓木裡打造自己的家，用泥土雕塑家人的模樣來和自己作伴，並日日思索著如何渡河，成功回家。