This is a beautifully illustrated, fun story for children, at one level. At a deeper level, this is a metaphorical story about recovering from trauma. Some children, and even adults, cannot deal with trauma directly. Metaphor may be the only way to reach those who are more severely traumatized. Dr. Milton Erickson was gifted at using metaphor, to address trauma. This book was inspired by Ericksonian methods. The author's parents ran a foster home for children subjected to abuse. He has seen a number of traumatized children, in his life, and put this book together as a way to help them.