Book Search: Siblings caring for each other

This is the first book in a series written in the early 1940's that has been loved by generations; in fact my parents read it to me and I loved it. 5 year old Betsy and Tacy begin their sweet friendship in this book. They both have 8 year old sisters, so I thought this book would be perfect for our family, since our girls are those ages, and I was right. I was surprised that our (then) 8 year old loved it so much, it's a favorite of hers as well as our (then) 5 year old, and we are pretty excited to continue with the next book and read the series.

This is a gorgeously illustrated book, a kinder version of the tale.

In my opinion this is one of the finest collections of fairy tales
I've read. They aren't syrupy and super-positive. They are gentle,
original stories of children overcoming their fears, learning powerful
lessons, and meeting magical spirits. We savor this book and I read
the a story from it every few weeks and it is a real treat the whole
family enjoys.

Written in 1931, this is the tale of a mischievous 5 year old Chinese boy. He lives a simple life in a small village with his family, with two older sisters that often watch out for him, or find him when he runs away - which he does often. Not because he is mad, but simply because he is a curious little boy and he forgets his boundaries. His parents are mad with him, and often say he is a 'bad boy' or a 'naughty boy' but he is not scolded beyond that because he is 'too little.' In the end, after falling in the river and nearly drowning, he decides to grow up and be good.
This is a wonderful chapter book for small people, because every single page has a picture (black and white), and the entire book can be read in a couple hours.

This book is a delightful stretch for the imagination. "And with that, she took the peppermint rabbit and flung it into the well. Everything was very quiet for just a moment, and then the well began to rumble and boil and a huge wave came roaring up from it. Out of this wave stepped a lumpy, toad-shaped troll wearing a black silk coat...."