DeJong creates suspense by giving the children a goal that may appear unattainable. What seems a trivial matter at first becomes an all-consuming passion for them and for the rest of the village.

Suspense is heightened further when DeJong shifts the action in times of crisis. For example, while Lina and Douwa wait to be rescued, the narrative suddenly jumps to the legless Janus, the teacher, and the boys who are trying to fish a wheel rim out of a canal.

Similarly, the raging storm described near the book's end continues unabated for five days, forcing the village to wait to find storks.

The focal object of the story is, of course, the wheel, which begins to symbolize the effort that goes into finding it.

All the children and some of the adults work as spokes that will support a hub—or central "dream"&mdash...