In this new studio recording of one of Davis's classic family stories, meet an earnest first-grader, intent upon convincing his parents that other children are treated to a party every year on their birthday - that they invite friends, eat cake, and receive presents. Meet his equally intent mother, who is determined not to open that can of worms, not with the 128 relatives who might start doing the same thing. Both of them step out in this luminous story about a seemingly disastrous birthday that turns into an unexpectedly memorable celebration. The companion story, The Little Rat, explores what happens when an eight-year-old boy discovers that his mother's makeup is a chemistry set.