Alex loves his mother very much and today is her birthday. He bundles up and sets out to find a job. He'll try anything to earn enough money for a present: bang his saucepan to the beat with street musicians, wash a car, anything!-until he discovers the perfect present to bring home to her...
Grandpa had 27 grandchildren, all who loved him, and shared the mangoes he brought home every day. Grandpa and mangoes always brightened the day. But grandpa was getting sick, losing his memory and the ability to even cut the mangoes. He was slowly leaving his grandchildren.
Mommy, Daddy, and Dorothy's brother, Martin, all wear glasses. But not Dorothy. She knows that glasses make people see better, and she wants to see better, too. Never mind that she can see perfectly without them. She feels like an outsider in her own family, and so she draws glasses on her face and on all her toys. But when she tries on her Daddy's glasses, she gets a big surprise!
Both Mum and Dad work in offices, but it's hard for a very little boy to understand what they DO all day, and why they're SO tired when they get home and can only play for a little while. With the help of his grandmother, who takes care of him, our young narrator tries to experience their workaday world, day after day, at home in a pretend office ... and he gets really, really tired, too...
Times are hard for Mommy, Daddy, and Ivan. They live in a tiny apartment and only have room for an imaginary dog, Ronny, who behaves badly--especially at night. They love him, anyway. One day they are able to move to a larger apartment and have room for The Real Ronny! A real dog! He's wonderful, of course. And they love him. But sometimes you can't help missing the things you left behind.
Jonah, like many little boys, is afraid of the dark. His older brother, Gor, and his baby sister, Arpi, share the bedroom with Jonah. But it's still a scary place at night, what with monsters under beds and on chairs, and who knows what's lurking in the spooky cupboard? But when Gor promises Jonah his favorite toy soldier if he'll just try not to be afraid, Jonah is too excited to sleep. Will the scary dark keep Jonah in his bed?
It is very difficult to be the youngest, littlest one in the family. Yurchyk's sister and brother are too old to play with him now; they prefer to do other things. And his parents are too busy. His companion is just a puppy, a little dog named Klapovukh. Yurchyk's father says that being big isn't just about growing taller but about doing big things! It takes courage to do big things: Is little Yurchyk brave enough?
