Author Information
Amy Hest's Latest Book

Newest Release

  • Bibliography:
    61 Books (2 Series)
  • First Book:
    October 1982
  • Latest Book:
    May 2024
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Full Series List in Order

Baby Duck

1 - In the Rain with Baby Duck (Oct-1995)
2 - Baby Duck and the Bad Eyeglasses (Aug-1996)
3 - You're the Boss, Baby Duck! (Sep-1997)
4 - Off to School, Baby Duck! (Jun-2007)

Sam

Kiss Good Night (Aug-2001)
You Can Do It, Sam (Aug-2007)

Book List in Order: 61 titles















  • Katie didn't know what it really meant to be part of a family...until her father went away. Katie is only seven when her father leaves to fight in World War II. She and her mother are lonely in their New York City apartment, and they long for him to...






  • Lexi often takes a pot of tea to Murray Singer at the newsstand for her grandmother, and Murray sends Lexi back with a newspaper and a note, but soon Lexi's go-between job becomes a matchmaking endeavor....





  • Every year, in the fall, Gabrielle gets a new coat. And every year her coat looks the same -- navy blue with two rows of buttons and a half belt in the back. But this year Gabrielle wants something different -- a purple coat. "Purple?" Mama laughs. B...





  • Every year, Nana throws herself a grand birthday party, with relatives from all over the city and her special birthday rules tacked to the door: NO JEANS, NO Gum, and NO PRESENTS, EXCEPT THE KIND YOU MAKE YOURSELF. Best of all, Maggie and her cous...











  • Katie's father died in World War II, and four years later her mother has married Sam Gold and taken her away from New York City to a ranch in Texas. Amy Hest, author of the acclaimed novel LOVE YOU, SOLDIER that featured Katie at age seven, has writt...







  • It's a rainy, rainy day, and Baby Duck hates rain. Mrs. Duck says she's never heard of a duck not liking rain. But then Grampa Duck and Baby Duck come down from the attic with a little umbrella and rubber boots that belonged to . . . whom? . . . Mrs....



  • "The three girls featured in Pajama Party and Nannies for Hire are now planning something new--a seemingly simple birthday party. This true-to-life story becomes an adventure featuring relationships between best friends and family members, an ice-ska...




  • From an author The Horn Book has called "a remarkable writer" comes a warm-hearted romp that's guaranteed to please. On a cold, wintry night, Miss Lee the librarian lights a fire in the library fireplace and begins her search for the perfect story-ho...



  • For anyone "who's not the baby anymore!"

    Baby Duck is back--and she's not the baby anymore! Hot Stuff, Baby Dick's little sister, has arrived, and everyone is making a great big fuss over her. Baby Duck fells pretty cranky about the whole mat...



  • Down in the 86th Street subway station, a plaque bears the name "Jamaica Louise James, age 8." Who is Jamaica and what did she do? Sit back and enjoy because in this peppery story, Jamaica tells you all about it.

    With pictures as spunky as Jam...



  • The creators of The Purple Coat present a sequel to their Christopher Award-winner, in which Gabby prepares for a day of ice-skating to celebrate Grampa's birthday, worrying whether he will like her new grown-up haircut....



  • Seventh grade should be a wonderful year for Katie Roberts. After all, she has twin baby brothers and Lucie, the best friend ever. Too bad Mama doesn't understand that wearing lipstick is how you get invited to snobby Pamela's party. And too bad Miss...



  • Having been put to bed before the dancing party began, Mabel is simply too excited to sleep and so decides to watch from the top of the stairs, yet soon young Mabel is dancing her way down the stairs and into the party as the music of the magical eve...







  • Sam

    Outside, the wind blows and the rain comes down. Inside, it is Sam's bedtime. Mrs. Bear reads him a story, tucks him in, and brings him warm milk. "Are you ready now, Sam?" she asks. "I'm waiting," he says. What else does Sam need before going to sle...



  • Will Baby Duck take the plunge? Amy Hest and Jill Barton team up swimmingly for a new Baby Duck episode - with enough humor and heart to reassure the most hesitant of little ones.


    Baby Duck longs to join the swimming team. But she won’t ...




  • "Hest simply and faithfully holds a mirror to the milestone event for millions of turn-of-the-century immigrants."-- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review) When a young girl from a poor eastern European village learns that she must leave her beloved gran...



  • Snuggle up with Baby Duck for a private photo viewing with Grampa in this adorable episode perfect for preschoolers.

    It’s a rainy, rainy day, and Baby Duck has a little cold. But as always, Baby starts feeling better when Grampa comes to vis...



  • "Young readers will recognize Baby Duck's fears and be inspired by her bravery to take the plunge with her." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS

    Baby Duck longs to join the swimming team. But she won't go in the water, no matter how cheerfully Mrs. Duck trills...



  • "This follow-up to the best-selling Kiss Good Night will comfort little ones like a cozy blanket that’s tucked in just right." -- Booklist (starred review) In the little white house, Mrs. Bear is putting Sam to bed, when suddenly -- HCK HCK! co...



  • A best-selling author and illustrator pay tribute to the power of language and intergenerational bonds.

    George Baker and Harry don’t seem the likeliest of friends. Yet, sitting side by side on George’s porch, waiting for the school bus to ...



  • "No matter how many going-to-school books you already have, don’t miss out on this one." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)

    It’s the first day of school, and Baby Duck’s stomach is all jitters. What if her teacher is mean? What...






  • Sam

    "Endearing characters add to the sweetness and fulfillment that younger children will identify with, making this third Sam and Mrs. Bear story quite a delicious morsel." --  Kirkus Reviews

    "Little ones will find this both a suitable precurso...



  • A timeless tale of friendship by New York Times bestselling author Amy Hest.

     

    Once there was a small dog with

    crooked ears. He belonged to no one.

    And once there was a wisp of a girl

    named Lia. . . .

    The dog who belonged to no o...



  • The creators of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling KISS GOOD NIGHT offer a trio of gentle tales about a special intergenerational bond.

    Little Chick may be a good and patient gardener, as Old-Auntie observes, but what if you simply can’t wait fo...



  • What do you do when you meet a bear on Broadway? Suck in your breath. Stick out your hand. And say, "Stop there, Little Bear!" If he cries and tells you that his mama is lost, you must help him find her.

    With great humor and charm, Amy Hest...



  • Now in paperback -- Mementos from her mother's students help a young girl to grieve in a middle-grade novel by award-winning author Amy Hest. Eight-year-old Annie lives in a sunny apartment in Manhattan with her father, Professor Rossi. Life woul...



  • Annie Rossi never, ever thought her father would let her have a dog. But now that he's finally given in, she's found the perfect ear for the stories of her day. She just writes them in a notebook hidden under the bed and reads them to Leo in her soft...



  • Two of our most beloved picture book creators team up to tell a classic story of a child, his new puppy, and a first night home. On Charley’s first night, Henry carries his new puppy in his old baby blanket all the way to his house. He shows Cha...



  • In this timeless picture book, a new reader trudges through deep snow with a mysterious suitcase in tow. He has something important to share with his faithful companion, who bolts ahead to wait at the top of a tall hill. Our small hero climbs higher ...



  • The creators of Charley’s First Night return with a tale of a boy, a puppy, and a grampa -- an enchanting picture book bearing all the hallmarks of a classic. It’s a snowy day, and Grampa is coming by train for a visit. Henry can’t wait! H...



  • After a young boy’s beloved pet passes away, he encounters an adorable stray dog on the beach. The boy tries to walk away and ignore the cuddly creature, but the puppy continues to follow him, undeterred. Though the boy is still dealing with the pa...






  • Will everything I love still be there when I wake? Mother Bear’s absolute reassurance -- and an unexpected outing -- enables a little cub to sleep in a masterful bedtime story. On the first night of winter, Little Miss Bear will not go to sleep....



  • For solitary neighbors Bunny and Dog, reticence overcomes curiosity -- until something extraordinary happens to nudge them into friendship. Bunny and Dog live on opposite sides of the fence. Every morning, first thing, Bunny looks through the fe...



  • What could be more endearing than the bond between a baby and a puppy? A sweet and spirited tale from two picture-book masters. In the little red house, a dog ducks under the table. He waits and watches and waits some more as his heart goes thump,...



  • Set during World War II, this poignant, briskly paced historical novel relays the events of one extraordinary summer from three engaging points of view. On the morning of the dedication of the new children’s library in Belle Beach, Long Island, ...



  • Billy and Rose, friends with different ideas, always end up coming together in these charming stories from masterful creators Amy Hest and Kady MacDonald Denton.Best friends Billy and Rose, an industrious sheep and a laid-back pig, sometimes see thin...



  • A celebration of the joy and comfort to be found in alone time and the joy and comfort that a friend can bring.Sometimes it’s nice to be alone. Just you, eating a cookie, alone. But what if a friend drops in?In Amy Hest and Philip C. Stead&rsqu...



  • Billy and Rose are back—and prone to serious discussion—in four charming stories about the ups and downs of negotiating friendship. The diligent sheep and the mellow pig who debuted in Billy and Rose: Forever Friends are back—an...



  • Bunny can’t sleep because Dad forgot to check on him, so he sets out to check on Dad.Bunny should be sleeping, but instead, he is waiting for Dad to come check on him. Dad always checks on him, but tonight, Dad is late. Soon Dad will come. He ...



  • An unhurried fishing trip, with blueberry scones in tow, introduces a new bear duo sure to charm fans of Little Bear and Frog and Toad.One day Big Bear says to Little Bear,I’m just in the mood for fishing.Me, too, says Little Bear. Just in the ...





    • / General Fiction
    • Buy Buy

    It is a sweet story of Sam the little bear, who has a cough. My husband is a bit leery of the fact that Sam doesn't want to take his medicine (thus far our own toddler is pretty good and doesn't object to meds). All in all, we love the Sam books....


Award-Winning Books by Amy Hest

In the Rain with Baby Duck
1996 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award -- Picture Book
The Private Notebook of Katie Roberts, Age 11
1998 Nutmeg Book Award -- Grades 4-6
When Jessie Came Across the Sea
1997 Greenaway Medal -- Children's Picture


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Amy Hest has published 61 books.

The next book by Amy Hest, Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing, will be published in May 2024.

The first book by Amy Hest, Maybe Next Year, was published in October 1982.

Yes. Amy Hest has 2 series.