“The day Dad went away to the war, I cried. He hugged me and told me to be brave. But I was afraid of so many things.”

A young boy promises to be brave when his father goes off to fight in World War II. But it isn’t always easy, Lots of things scare the boy, especially Josephine, the street horse who pulls the ragman’s wagon, and Nell, the milkman’s nag, frighten the boy with their big teeth and wild eyes. Even Billy and Bucky, the garbage wagon horses whose feet are so big and heavy, make him nervous. Then one day a stranger with a small pony named Freedom offers the boy an opportunity to give his father the perfect birthday present and find a new and special kind of courage.

Dori Chaconas has written a sensitive tale about a son’s steadfast love for his soldier father that transcends distance, circumstance, and his own fears. Illustrator Ted Lewin’s stunning paintings capture the simple spirit of the 1940s home front.