Ernest V Troost

Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it. She was a perfect baby, and she had a perfect name. Chrysanthemum. When she was old enough to appreciate it, Chrysanthemum loved her name. And then she started school. "I'm named after my grandmother," said Victoria. "You're named after a flower." Chrysanthemum wilted. Life at school didn't improve. In fact, it got worse. Then the students were introduced...

In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.

When a white dog with black spots runs away from home, he gets so dirty his family doesn't recognize him as a black dog with white spots. Harry is a white dog with black spots who loves everything . . . except baths. So one day before bath time, Harry runs away. He plays outside all day long, digging and sliding in everything from garden soil to pavement tar. By the time he returns home, Harry is so dirty he looks like a black dog with white spots....

Bruce is a grumpy bear who likes no one and nothing but cooked eggs, but when some eggs he was planning to boil hatch and the goslings believe he is their mother, he must try to make the best of the situation.

With a supply of yarn that never runs out, Annabelle knits for everyone and everything in town until an evil archduke decides he wants the yarn for himself.

A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America, which he later also undertakes, and describes the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

Owen's parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he starts school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy.

When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya's shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.

Max and his sister Ruby go on an egg hunt and vie with each other for the prize, a chocolate chicken. It's springtime for the unflappable young rabbit and his overbearing big sister. Max can hardly wait to gobble up the chocolate chicken someone left on his birdbath, and Ruby wants to plan an egg hunt. Full color. All Max wants to do is eat the chocolate chicken that someone left in the birdbath one fine spring morning. But "wait, Max," his sister...