A little boy spending his first night with his new puppy promises to be responsible, but then decides to change the whimpering puppy's sleeping place.

Told from three viewpoints, a brisk historical tale follows the experiences of two sisters who discover an abandoned baby on the library steps, while their estranged friend, racing to complete an important errand for his World War II soldier brother, jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Even after a story, being tucked in, and warm milk, Sam is not ready to got to sleep until his mother kisses him good night.

When Mrs. Bear and little Sam deliver the cakes they have made for their friends in the neighborhood, Sam carries the cakes all by himself, through the snow and up to the front doors.

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 will come in the night
to check on his little Bunny. Come on, Dad!
Check on me, check on me, check on me!
Bunny can’t wait anymore— he needs...

Despite the doctor's warning that she is too frail, Samantha's grandmother zestfully joins her in a midnight raid on the kitchen, where they make fabulous ice-cream sundaes and look at old photographs.

Gabby has knitted mittens to give her grandfather for his birthday, and on their way to meet him, Gabby gets a new haircut and her mother gets a surprise.

On her eighth birthday, Jamaica receives paints which she uses to surprise her grandmother and brighten the subway station where Grammy works.

Mabel doesn't want to go to sleep while Mama and Papa are having a dance party downstairs.

On the first night of winter, Little Miss Bear will not go to sleep. She simply refuses. "Winter is for sleeping," Mother Bear tells her. "But why, Mother?" Little Miss asks. "Because that's what bears do. All bears sleep, all winter long." All winter long is much too long for Little Miss Bear. She is going to miss her stars and her moon, and she is going to miss rolling on hills. Most of all, she is going to miss Mother Bear. But Mother finds a special...