Kate Hoefler

Two solitary children living in two different apartment buildings have nothing in common except compassion for an old man and his dog.

Mae is a little girl, and Bear is a bear, but they are both afraid of trains and traveling to places they do not know, so they put on courage hats; Mae's has bear ears, and Bear's has people ears, and when they meet on the train going through bear country to the city, they take courage in each other's company and soon become friends--and when they arrive they exchange hats, which is a lot like exchanging hearts.

Rabbit lives, happy and content, in a wheat field, never venturing outside its bounds; but he enjoys old Dog's stories of life on the road with his motorbike--so when Dog dies and leaves Rabbit his bike, Rabbit starts to feel the powerful pull of the open road.

★ "Exhilarating . . . Graceful text and evocative illustrations combine in this story about the rewards of facing fears and trying something new." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review A timeless fable of the journey from grief to acceptance that will touch every reader: Rabbit isn't sure he'll ever be brave enough to go on an adventure. He's a homebody who lives in a quiet field of wheat he dreams of leaving every night. His world is enlarged by...