Amy Hest

Even after a story, being tucked in, and warm milk, Sam is not ready to go to sleep until his mother kisses him good night.

Baby Duck experiences the fear of the first day of school, but with a little help from Grampa, everything turns out okay in the end.

Although she loves her father, their home in New York City, and third-grade teacher Miss Meadows, Annie misses her mother who died recently.

A thirteen-year-old Jewish orphan reluctantly leaves her grandmother and immigrates to New York City, where she works for three years sewing lace and earning money to bring Grandmother to the United States, too.

"After a young boy's beloved dog dies, the boy encounters a stray dog on the beach. At first, the boy is not interested in having another dog as a pet, but as he walks and plays on the beach, he gradually becomes interested in taking care of the stray dog as a pet"--

In a series of journal entries and letters to a pen pal, Katie relates her feelings about her father's death in World War II, her mother's remarriage, and the family's move from New York City to Texas.

Best friends Billy and Rose, an industrious sheep and a laid-back pig, sometimes see things differently. When they play catch, Rose insists that Billy throws too high, and he counters that she throws too low. While Rose thinks washing clothes is the world's biggest chore, Billy contends that playing the cello holds that distinction. Still, these endearing friends always find a way to work things out: What if Billy plays a cello serenade for Rose while...

The hard-working daughter of two bakers and a perfectly nice stray dog live lonely lives in the same town, until they meet one very stormy day.

When Sam has a cough, Mrs. Bear tends to him all through the cold night.

Old-Auntie hen encourages and nurtures Little Chick in three stories about a carrot, a kite, and a starry night.