Julie Brinckloe. Published by Aladdin. ISBN: 9780689710551. Age 5-7 years. 28 pages. 174mm X 225mm (6.8in X 8.8in). Paperback. 1986.

The fireflies appeared one evening, at first just one, then more and more. An excited boy quickly joined the rest of his friends in catching the fireflies outside their homes.

They dashed about, waving their hands in the air like a net and soon their jars were filled with hundreds of the amazing insects. The boy happily brought his glowing jar home and set it on his bedside table.

He was too excited to sleep and kept watching the fireflies in the jar flying about. Then, some began to drop to the bottom. The white glow turned to yellow and got dimmer and dimmer. The boy watched in dismay.

This could not be happening...

This is a moving story of a child's longing to keep something that fascinated him but by doing so would kill the spirit of the fireflies.

You could feel the child's eagerness when he first caught sight of a firefly. He finished his dinner hurriedly, was careful to poke holes onto the top of the jar, and ran out slamming the door. He was elated when he put the first firefly he caught into the jar.

But when the fireflies began to drop and the glow in the jar became dimmer and dimmer, it is heart-rending to see him covering his head with a pillow.

Fortunately, he knew what he had to do. He had to set them free in order to keep them, a notion that is valid in many aspects of our lives but of which most chose to ignore.

Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown. Published by Little Brown. ISBN: 9780316111539 . Age 4-8 years. 32 pages. 228mm X 220mm (8.9in X 8.6in). Paperback. 1998.

Sometimes you want to be alone, but there are times when having friends to play with is a lot more interesting. Find out how to make friends and keep them! The contents are:

• Me, Myself, and I - wanting to be alone sometimes
• Who Can Be Your Friend? - old and young, male and female
• Ways to Be a Friend - play fair, share toys, listen, etc
• Joining in the Fun - what you can do if left out
• Feeling Shy - at times
• Ways Not to Be a Friend - cheat, tease, hit
• Bosses and Bullies - wanting only your way
• Making Up with a Friend - take turns, share
• Talking Out an Argument - take time out, get grown-ups' help
• Being Friendly - be helpful

Does your child come back from playgroups or the preschool complaining about his friends? Does he find it difficult to accept that he could be wrong at times? If yes, then this book may be what he needs.

There are many suggestions on how to make friends. Most people assume a child would take to making friends like a duck to water, but that is not always the case. The ideas here help your child to explore many ways that may not have occurred to his young mind.

Your child's feeling is acknowledged, such as being hurt when not included by others in their game, and being shy when meeting a new friend. He is then encouraged to overcome the feelings with practice or looking for other friends to play with.

Sometimes, a child may think a behaviour is acceptable if everyone does it, like calling someone mean names. The book identifies behaviours that are unfriendly like name-calling, teasing, blaming others and not following rules.

You don't have to read the whole book at one go. You could read only the relevant chapter/s based on what your child is currently going through.

Anthony Browne. Published by DK Publishing. ISBN:9780789481917 . Age 4+ years. 30 pages. 250mm X 295mm (9.8in X 11.6in). Paperback. 2001.

There is only one event. The event is going to the park.

However, the event is seen through four different persons' eyes, i.e. an upper class mother, her son, a lower class father and his daughter.

Each person narrates the story in the way he or she sees it. The mother gives the impression of being strict and aloof. Her son sounds miserable. The father feels down as he is unemployed, and his daughter seems the most cheerful.

All of them go to the park at about the same time. The mother sits on a bench and is soon lost in her thoughts. The father sits on the other side of the bench, flipping through the newspaper looking for a job. The two children become friends and play together.

Then the mother discovers her son talking to the girl, much to her disgust. Immediately, she summons him over and they leave for home.

Going to the park is an ordinary event. Nothing much could happen, right? Maybe. But have you ever imagined what each person at the park could be thinking, although all are at the same place at the same time, looking at the same things and listening to the same sounds?

Anthony Browne has not only managed to get us to look at the other side of the coin, but also to look at other coins, so to speak.

The upper class mother sees going to the park as a routine. The park appears bright and as it should be, with green grass and brown trees. She is unfriendly and uptight. She thinks she is superior to the others in the park.

The lower class father is dejected and feels the need to get out of the house. Everything seems hopeless and gloomy to him. He envies the energy his dog has.

The boy is bored and unhappy at home. He is not very excited at the thought of going to the park. He sees some colour at the park, but he feels dark clouds are constantly hovering above him. It clears up considerably when he plays with the girl. His mother has a firm grip on him because he uses the word 'caught' as in 'Then my mother caught us talking together'.

The girl is cheerful and eager to go to the park. She is not bogged down by her father's unemployed status. She sees 'play' everywhere in the park. She is carefree and observant. She has plenty to say about things.

The illustrations are intriguing and play an important role in conveying the mood of each person, as much as the text does. The font type and size are different for each person so as to complement that person's outlook in life.

For older kids, there are plenty of issues that can be discussed such as economic status of families, the relationship between child and parents, and how a person may see things differently from others due to his upbringing, influences from parents, financial background and inherent nature.

A simple yet brilliant story that manages to stir something in your heart. It will leave you pondering on the characters and your life, wishing that you could follow them home to continue the story.