First published 2014
In the American Southwest, a young Indian boy watches ponies run free across the desert. He wants one desperately but has no way to get it. When a stranger arrives with his burro, the boy discovers that courage and quick thinking might make his dream possible. Far north in the Arctic Circle, an Eskimo boy lives with his family on the ice. Their world turns dangerous when they become trapped on a drifting iceberg. They must survive using their skills to fish through ice and their wisdom to befriend the wild creatures around them, including a polar bear cub. Meanwhile, in a different land entirely, Rum-Tum-Tummy the elephant believes he can do whatever he wants. He bullies a warthog and sends a hippo tumbling down a hill. His appetite matches his cruelty, and both seem endless. But when Rum-Tum-Tummy finds himself in real danger, he learns something unexpected about the animals he has tormented. Each story shows a young character learning what matters most when facing the unknown.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, adventure
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity
Setting: Arctic Circle, American Southwest
144 pages · Paperback · Dover Publications