Work Information

Abel's Island is a children's novel written and illustrated by William Steig.

Abel's Island is a children's novel written and illustrated by William Steig. It won a Newbery Honor. It was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Toronto, Ontario in 1976. It is a survival story about a mouse stranded on an island.

Book Information

Publisher

Farrar Straus & Giroux

Published

1976-03-01

Pages

117 pages

Language

英語

Size

14.45 x 1.52 x 20.09 cm

ISBN-13

9780374300104

ISBN-10

0374300100

Price

4251 JPY

Category

洋書/Children's Books/Growing Up & Facts of Life/Family Life/Values

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.

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. Steig 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.

Related Literary Awards

• Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal) Edition 56 (1977) ・Nominee