Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Nashville, TN

A new beginning. A fresh start. For adults, these are things to look forward to. For kids they can be downright frightening. Here are some books to help your preschooler understand and look forward to some common new beginnings in life.

Learning To Use The Potty:
Once Upon A Potty by Alona Frankel

Frankel's sweet and simple book centers around Prudence (or Joshua if you're reading the boy version,) who has just received a potty as a gift. Potty learning children can relate to Prudence's accidents and triumphs on the potty. My daughter enjoyed this book long after her diapers were gone due to the humor involved -- especially the part where Prudence mistakes the new potty for a flower pot, a hat, and other silly things.

Starting School:
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

For most young children, the hardest part about starting school is the separation from their parents. Penn's sweet raccoon protagonist, Chester, feels the same way. Chester's mother gives him a special kiss that he can take to school with him and press to his cheek whenever he needs it. This easily relatable story has become somewhat of a modern classic and is a great gift for little ones heading off to school for the first time.

Welcoming a New Baby:
A Baby Sister For Frances by Russell Hoban

It's tough for kids to have to share the attention of their parents and the rest of the world with a new sibling, and Frances the badger is no exception. When baby Gloria arrives, Frances starts to blame the woes of the world on her. After running away (but not very far,) Frances realizes that there is room for Gloria in the badger family. Like the other Frances books, the title character writes her own little songs sure to make any new big brother or sister smile.

If your preschooler is about to experience one of these new beginnings in her life, these books can go a long way towards helping her prepare. Make room for them on your bookshelf with plenty of time before your child's transition.