Amy Hest
Children's Book Author, Walker & Dog Lover
Rave Reviews!
Billy and Rose: Forever Friends
Kirkus Reviews Good friends can find a way to be together. Rose, a pig, and Billy, a sheep, are two delightful friends and neighbors who work through their differences and difficulties in four distinct vignettes about everyday life. In the first, Rose is ready for a day of play, but all her favorite clothes need washing. After procrastinating as long as she can, she gathers her dirty clothes and goes outside to wash them only to greet Billy, who has just hung his clothes on the line but can’t face practicing the cello. Rose gently chastises Billy for not practicing just as Billy reminds Rose of the importance of doing laundry. They both have a eureka moment, and Rose does her laundry to “the glorious sound of Billy’s cello.” Other tales see the friends playing catch (each blames the other for missing the ball), running an ice cream stand in the middle of a snowstorm, and planning a sleepover. The stories quietly model ways of dealing with disagreement—when the pals are at odds, they separate and regroup but then meet again to find a mutually agreeable solution. Plentiful watercolor-and-ink illustrations show the friends dealing with their problems and enjoying themselves. (This review has been updated for factual accuracy.) Gentle words and calming illustrations subtly provide strong examples of conflict resolution. (Early chapter book. 4-8)
Fierce
Listening
“Hest balances foreground action against background deftly . . . . Warm family stories laced with some sorrow and great joy.”
—Kirkus Reviews, ★STARRED review
“A poignant composite portrait of three children’s—and two loving families’—hope and resilience in the face of loss and uncertainty.”
—Publishers Weekly, ★STARRED review
“With expert character development and clever narration from three distinct perspectives, Hest seamlessly immerses her readers into the hopes and fears of war-time America. It’s a simple premise: A baby found alone in a basket. Yet the complicated layering of events makes for a truly engaging and heartwarming story of steadfastness and solidarity. VERDICT Young readers will be drawn in by the mystery, stay for the characters, and sigh contentedly when the story draws to a close.”
—School Library Journal, ★STARRED review
“This historical tale engagingly presents ordinary life, while acknowledging the toll war can take on a community.”
“. . . a gently told, slightly mysterious historical narrative that gradually lays down clues about who the baby is and what Julie's doing with her. . . . piecing together of the strands and the resolution for the baby will satisfy readers looking for an offbeat read that both challenges and reassures.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“In short chapters that emphasize the youth of those involved . . . the testimonies of Bruno, Julie and Martha braid together to form a satisfying, bittersweet story of life on the home front.”
“Hest’s prose is wonderfully unadorned, her narrative voices natural and the story deliciously satisfying. The Summer We Found the Baby is a quiet wonder and a rare delight.”
—BookPage ★STARRED review
Rave Reviews!
The Summer We Found the Baby
Children in a World Gone Mad: 5 Kids’ Books Set During World War II
