Pamela Camel by Bill Peet (1984) is another of his stories about coping with a life changing event. Pamela is a disrespected camel in the Brinkerhoff Brothers Big Top Circus. She could never do "something clever or sensational to excite the crowds." Consequently, she's just an ordinary camel that stands beside other animals for visitors to look at. Sadly, she's ridiculed; she's called bad-tempered, stupid, and dumb. One day, she walks away from circus life. She has no idea where to go, so she walks down a railroad track. When she comes upon a break in the track, she worries. She knows that a train will wreck on such a break. Toss in a thunderstorm and nightfall to keep Pamela close by. Then Peet gives Pamela conviction and courage. Here comes a train. What will she do? Her actions cause her to become the star of the circus show.
