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In this children's book, a poodle named Napoleon lives in a house with a man, a woman, and a puppy named Scruffy. One day while outside, Napoleon is told by a hummingbird that "a monster... called a hurricane... is on its way...." The hummingbirds are evacuating. Napoleon enters the house to relay the message to the man and finds him on the phone, inviting people and their animals to come to their home to be safe.
Ultimately, about twenty animals (including some "natural" antagonists, such as dogs and different types of cats), a cockatiel, guinea pigs, and their humans find refuge in and around the property. Napoleon and Scruffy greet each one, glad to offer each of them a haven during a time of crisis. Each animal has different personality traits, needs, and expectations. The reader sees the dynamics of any group of diverse beings who are forced together by circumstances and the frights and triumphs they experience during the storm and its aftermath.
This marvelous tale about a group of rescuers and other beings helping one another is brought to life boldly through illustrations by Stephen Adams. The work will enhance any child's library, whether as a "read-to" tale or a story that young children may read to themselves. It is a story of courage, cooperation, grief, uncertainty, and, throughout everything, caring. It is extraordinary, similar to how The Little Engine That Could is extraordinary. Although an apparently simple tale, it tells much about the dynamics of life.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review