Amy is positive that she wants to spend three days and nights at her grandmother's house, even though she has never been away from home before. Thinking ahead, she packs her three favorite things to take with her. Each day, Amy enjoys her time with Grandma, whether they go to the park or bake a cake. But when nighttime comes, homesickness strikes, and she must use her favorite things - a bedroom mat, a wooden toy horse, and a little wooden boat - to make herself feel better. In each case, the beloved object transforms, transporting her to her house and allowing her to see that her mother, little brother, and pet dog are all well. When she cannot find her family, on the third night, Amy is distraught, until she learns that they have come to Grandma's early! The story concludes at the fair the next day, as Amy rides the merry-go-round, and realizes that her loved ones, even when out of sight, are always there for her...

A heartwarming and imaginative tale, one which highlights the importance of our connection to our family, and the role that make-believe can play, in offering comfort to frightened young children, Amy's Three Best Things is exactly what I would imagine a reassurance story from Philippa Pearce would look like! I have fond memories of reading Pearce's award-winning children's novel, Tom's Midnight Garden, as a youngster, and have always found her stories immensely well-constructed and emotionally resonant. This was no different, and I thought that the final passage of the book - "Around and around went the merry-go-round with Amy on her dragon, and sometimes she saw her family and sometimes she didn't. But they were always there" - offered the perfect conclusion to the tale. The accompanying watercolor artwork by Helen Craig, perhaps best known for illustrating the Angelina Ballerina books, is just lovely, capturing the emotional register of each scene, as well as the sense of magic and adventure in Amy's nighttime journeys. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-book reassurance stories about spending the night away from home, with the proviso that parents be aware that this one is a little text-heavy for a picture-book, and perhaps best suited for children four or five and up. ( )

A reassuring story to relieve children of their separation anxiety. ( )