Blue Daisy

Sam and Katie find a stray dog and make a big mistake, but it's hard to make amends--how can you apologize to a dog?

A dirty, skinny dog shows up in Sam and Katie's neighborhood. They start to follow it, and they don't like what they see: The Wilson sisters yell at it because it goes in their garden and the Tracy twins chase it on their bikes and throw things at it.

Sam and Katie want the dog to know they'll be its friends. They think it should have a name. Most of all, they want it to like them. But then they do something thoughtless, and after that, it's hard to make things right, especially because the dog now won't come near them.

How they earn the dog's trust, help it find its place in their town and how it gets its name, makes for a heartwarming story told in two voices using prose and poetry. Blue Daisy is illustrated with 20 black-and-white illustrations and includes recipes for dog biscuits and snickerdoodles. Now available in paperback.

Helen Frost is an award-winning children's book author, playwright, and poet. She has written many award-winning books for children and young adults and her young-adult novel Keesha's House was a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Her most recent book for younger children is Applesauce Weather. Ms. Frost lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana. www.helenfrost.net

Rob Shepperson has illustrated over two dozen books for children, most recently the Franklin School Friends series by Claudia Mills. His editorial illustrations have appeared regularly in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Shepperson lives in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. www.robshepperson.com