Kate Hoefler

Real cowboys are gentle, patient, and creative as they move hundreds of cattle, make camp, and dream under the stars.

Mae is a little girl, and Bear is a bear, but they are both afraid of trains and traveling to places they do not know, so they put on courage hats; Mae's has bear ears, and Bear's has people ears, and when they meet on the train going through bear country to the city, they take courage in each other's company and soon become friends--and when they arrive they exchange hats, which is a lot like exchanging hearts.

Two solitary children living in two different apartment buildings have nothing in common except compassion for an old man and his dog.