A Flood of Creatures

The story centers on an old woman who lives alone by a river and prefers it that way. Her house is tidy, filled with old lamps, odd treasures, and not a trace of anything – or anyone – she hasn’t personally approved. She dislikes visitors, and animals even more. But one morning she wakes up to find her house suddenly crowded with creatures seeking shelter from a flood: cows in her kitchen, chickens under her chairs, a horse blocking the hall and a boy calmly eating oatmeal as if he’s always lived there.

Her reaction is a steady rise from irritation to full disbelief as she moves from room to room, discovering yet another animal making itself comfortable. As the storm continues, she reluctantly notices that life with unexpected guests isn’t entirely awful. There’s fresh milk, warm eggs, and a sense of company she hasn’t felt in years.

Ipcar fills the book with her signature crowded, energetic spreads: large farm animals packed into tidy, old-fashioned rooms, each page layered with bold shapes and clear, confident colors. Her animals are stylized but full of personality, and the interiors: lamps, dishes, churns, old furniture are drawn with the same careful attention, so the contrast between order and sudden chaos becomes visual rather than just narrative.

Ipcar lets the illustrations do most of the talking, and the result is a little world that feels both old-fashioned and full of energy, a house turning into an ark one page at a time.