PINKY PROMISE, from the Teach Your Children Well series (Child & Family Press/November 2004/$7.95/ ISBN 087868893-5) features five yearold Madison in a quandary, she didn't mean to break the camera -- it was an accident; but she is afraid to tell her mother she had touched it after being told not to. This sweet story is instantly recognizable to any parent and every child. A thoughtful and authentic look at honesty, author Dr. Vinita Braver captures a young person's stage of moral development.

In PINKY PROMISE, and all of the stories in the Teach Your Children Well series, Madison thinks about her actions and demonstrates the self-reflection, necessary for her to make her own choice. By making hew own choices Madison gains the strength of character and confidence to be the person she wants to be and feel good about herself.

The Teach Your Children Well series is a delightful series of picture storybooks designed of children 4-8 years old. Each story finds Madison dealing with an everyday dilemma of childhood. Through the stories some of the values Madison learns include: it is important to try your best, to be compassionate, to forgive, beauty comes from within and to believe in yourself.

Author Dr. Vanita Braver wrote the seires to teach positive character traits to the very young. "No matter who we are, the essence of being human is to undergo a wide range of experience, both good and bad. How we live our lives and cope with difficult circumstances is a reflection of who we are, the way we thhink and the choices we make."

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