Danny finds himself stranded at the bottom of a giant construction hole, armed with nothing but his school backpack, his wits - and the company of a poetry-spouting mole...Danny's parents have always been a bit flaky, but this time they have gone too far. Now his mother wants to bake cheesecakes in the mountains, and his father wants to be an opera singer. That means Danny and his older brother will spend half the year in Banff and half the year in New York City. Worst of all, in preparation for the move, his parents have given away the family dog, Thwack. Furious with his family, Danny runs out of the house - straight onto a construction site, where he ends up at the bottom of a very, very large hole. When it appears that help is not immediately forthcoming, he settles in for the short haul.Here,he makes a friend with along, earth-covered snout, a taste for beetles, and no ears to speak of. His name is Mole, and he is excellent company - until a snake appears, and Danny must be not only ingenious, but also brave, if he is going to save his new friend.