A secular re-telling of the story of Noah's Ark. The animals are trapped on a hill and rescued by Noah. Most of the story describes how the animals pass the time on the ark, until they find land and a rainbow appears. Noah sails away and the animals say thank-you.

As a large storm approaches, snails Esther and Solomon make their way to the ark.

"While his family readies his townhouse for an approaching storm, boarding up windows and laying in groceries, Noah heads to the back garden, where beetles are burrowing deeper into the bark and mice are stuffing their hole with moss. Quickly and efficiently, Noah sets to work building an ark for them and other backyard creatures - salamanders and toads, snakes and spiders, even brightly colored hummingbirds. Setting out fistfuls of nuts and leaves,...