Great for children and adults alike, this story draws you in and makes you keep turning the pages. In the story a mouse named Abel is living a life of leisure with his wife Amanda. He is a wealthy high society fellow who does not work but lives comfortably with money provided by his wealthy mother, drinking champagne and eating caviar. During a picnic, Abel is swept into the river only to be beached on a deserted island. He sits down to await his rescue that never comes. He wants his old life badly with his comfortable bed, snug house, books, and clean clothes.

But he is stranded now and must learn to survive. As a spoiled rich mouse, he does not know how to fend for himself, yet he has become a Robinson Crusoe of sorts. As his old leisurely self disappears, Abel teaches himself create fire, to find and store food such as mushrooms and seeds, build shelter, and to make pottery to eat with. He fights off an owl determined to eat him, and never stops trying to find a way off the island. He is an intelligent, inventive fellow, and builds rafts, tries to swim the strong rive current, builds a bridge, uses stepping stones, rope, a catapult, and even a glider, all with disastrous results. He has to make use of his extra time on his hands and he finally learns he has an artistic side which brings him to sculpt life size images of his friends and loved ones. His perseverance is incredible against all odds and fears and he never gives up trying.

The author never uses "kid talk" in his books, but uses intelligent vocabulary in a way that does not put off kids, but increases their interest. Honestly no kid that begins reading this story can put it down, and any adult is captivated by the language the author uses to tell his tale. Abel's life strength lies in his never ending love for his wife. And we as the reader are helped to realize how lucky we are to be home with the ones that love us. Truly a gem.

After you read the story, if you want a bit more of Abel's world you see him on a VHS tape by the same name. It is available from the childrens department at your local library, or you can buy it "used" here at Amazon like I did. It was worth it, as it was a quality production that is true to the story, and the art is very similar to Steig's gentle illustrations from the book.

It started out as a slow book but it got better.
Abel's island was a good book. Abel's Island is about a small mouse who gets stranded on an island while trying to save a scarf for his new wife in a hurricane, and the wind drags him to a piece of wood that has a rusted nail sticking out of it. Then the piece of wood drags him off to a river that has a waterfall at the end of it. He falls down the waterfall and gets so tired that he just falls asleep, then when he wakes up Abel finds himself on a mysterious island (1,200 tails long). He finds himself stuck in a tree and he is so hungry that he takes a leaf and starts chewing on it "Mmm cherry branch", Abel says.
He thinks of a way to use the piece of wood as a fort that he can stay in. Then he thinks that he could turn it upside down and push it down about a tail and sleep under it. But soon he finds out that it will easily fall away so he walks around the island and finds an old rotten log that he can sleep in. So he gathers a bunch of seeds that he can eat and plants like grapes he can squeeze the juice out of and drink it. He finds a little hole that he can put the seeds in and finds another room he can put shutters and the milkweed in. He fixes up the milkweed and he makes a bed.
And so begins Abel's adventure on the island.
William Steig made a great book it shows that evn if you're lost dont try to give up hope.
I had to read this in Mrs.vacciano's book club in the fifth grade and i'm glad she's my teacher this year!!!!!

What a lovely book! Beautifully written. Charming, loving story of a mouse stranded on an island surviving on his own.

I borrowed this book from the library to read with my daughter, but I fell in love with it, and am buying a copy for my permanent collection.

Abel's Island by William Steig is truly one of the best children's books that has been produced. Any person, young or old, can learn from this beautiful little novel and be moved by it.

It is the story of Abel, a mouse who one day is separated from his wife by a terrible storm. Abel had been a rich, secure mouse in his former life. But in his new life, alone on an island, he learns to challenge himself. His experiences give him great insights into his true being. He also learns to appreciate that he really had in his former life, especially the love of his wife.

The plot is very simple to the novel. Abel has to survive and try to get back to his wife. It is very Robinson Crusoesque. But the novel is told with such warmth and humor that the reader is totally enraptured by this tale. The prose is so beautiful, the character's so endearing, and the insights are so great that no one who reads it will ever forget it. I just finished carrying it around for a couple of days on a college campus while I was rereading it, and it was seen and remembered by so many of my fellow students who cherished as students. Any child should read this as should any adult.