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• I Love You, Christopher Bear
• A Bad Day for Christopher Bear
• Christopher Bear Makes Friends
• It's Mine, Christopher Bear!
• Christopher Bear's First Christmas

By Stephanie Jeffs, illustrated by Jacqui Thomas (Augsburg Books) $5.99 each, 32 pages each

Books for very young children have to strike a tricky balance between simplicity and appeal. Err on one side or the other and you've got a book that will end up on the back of the shelf. These sweet little books, however, are ones you'll want to keep close at hand.

Each short story involves Joe, a preschooler, and his beloved stuffed pal, Christopher Bear. As Joe faces the ups and downs of being 4, he and Christopher learn simple lessons about kindness, sharing, and forgiveness. I Love You, Christopher Bear tells of a trip to the grocery store that leads to a reminder of God's love for all people. When Joe has a grumpy morning in A Bad Day for Christopher Bear, he finds out how to say he's sorry to those he's hurt, including God.

But what is most appealing about these gentle stories is how naturally the spiritual lessons are woven in to all the little events of Joe's life as a preschooler. Joe's conversations with his mom will undoubtedly inspire a few teachable moments for your child as well. Preschool

By Laura Derico, illustrated by Peter Wilkes (Tyndale) $7.99, 12 pages

Laying the foundation of godly character in our children takes daily, intentional work on the part of parents. But that doesn't mean character formation has to be a chore. In fact, with a fun tool like this book, your child won't even notice that his heart is being shaped to look more like God's.

Todd is a friendly little tiger who faces all kinds of decisions during his day. Should he yell at his sister when she spills his juice or be kind to her? Should he keep the yellow paint all to himself or share it with his friend? As Todd's day goes along, he tries to do the things he knows God wants him to do, like be patient and obey his parents. His example will help your child see that she has choices to make, too.

The text is straightforward and easy to understand, making this a good conversation starter ("Have you ever felt like Todd did?"). And it doesn't hurt that this sturdy book is shaped like a tiger. Preschool

• Bad Bug Blues
• Long Shot

By Sigmund Brouwer, illustrated by Tammie Lyon (Bethany Backyard) $3.99 each, 32 pages each

Kids come up with some amazing ways to get into trouble. Take Joel, the 7-year-old protagonist in this new series. If he's not sneaking a jarful of caterpillars into a concert, he's eye to eye with an angry bull on his uncle's farm. Every elementary-age child will see himself if Joel's efforts to wiggle out of sticky predicaments, especially those kids who are creative troublemakers themselves.

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