Nicholas can't stand his next-door neighbor, Mr. Robinson. Mr. Robinson gets mad about everything—especially when their dog Bitsy escapes and runs over to Mr. Robinson's yard and gets into his roses. Dad explains that Mr. Robinson is probably grumpy because his wife is in a nursing home and because he has a lot of back trouble. But Nicholas doesn't care, at least until he has a bad day of his own.

The empathy and caring Nicholas gains for his neighbor will help children appreciate the value of conflict resolution.

Reviews
(reviewed with Cristina Keeps a Promise) "Colorful cartoon illustrations reflect the tone in each book. Solid additions to collections looking for character-education materials. Both stories can be read independently or used as read-alouds in classroom settings." School Library Journal