Great picture books can be strictly entertaining, or they can impart helpful wisdom. In some cases, they do both. These books aim to offer advice to assist youngsters in their numerous issues, from the fear of the dark to grumpiness.

"The Dark" by Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Jon Klassen; Little, Brown & Co., 38 pages; $16.99.

Many children are afraid of the dark. Instead of patronizing youngsters for their fears and telling them there's nothing to be afraid of, "Series of Unfortunate Events" author Lemony Snicket tries another approach. In this low-key but hopeful tale, a boy named Laszlo is afraid of the dark that's sometimes behind the shower curtain, sometimes in the closet, but especially the dark in the basement. Snicket gives personality to the dark, which in turn convinces Laszlo to confront it. With flashlight in hand, the timid boy visits the basement and finds a drawer with little light bulbs, which he decides to use for a nightlight.

The darkness, less scary now, speaks to the boy about its importance. It tells Laszlo that without the dark closet, clothes wouldn't have a place to hide; that without a shower curtain, water would splash everywhere, and that "without the dark, everything would be light, and you would never know if you needed a light bulb." The dark tells Laszlo it's not afraid of him, and that's why it's always close by.

Klassen's weathered-looking gouache pages give off a vintage nighttime glow, which feels smartly a tad grown-up, without the cliche teddy bears and primary colors of many bedtime books.

"The Story of the Little Piggy Who Couldn't Say No" by Sabine Ludwig and Sabine Wilharm; Sky Pony Press; 32 pages; $16.95.

"The Power of Negative Thinking" is the title of Bobby Knight's new book, and though this energetic tale is age-appropriate, it imparts the same wisdom — that it's OK to stand up for yourself and say no if it feels right. Perfect for children who find it difficult to say no to their friends, the tale stars a little piggy that just wants to go to the beach, but everyone keeps taking her toys. A dog borrows her inner tube, a cat needs her sunhat and a badger gobbles up her cookies. Rhyming text makes the tale fun, while soft, whimsical illustrations offers lots of animal-themed outdoor activity to gaze upon.

Eventually Little Piggy gets upset and shouts NO to her opportunistic friends, who then help her out of the mud she falls in. It all ends up an exciting romp; and youngsters ages three to six will take away a strong message of standing up for themselves and sticking to their convictions.

"Let's Go, Hugo!" by Angela Dominguez; Dial/Penguin; 32 pages; $16.99.

Timid children will enjoy this lovely, encouraging tale of a little birdie named Hugo who's afraid to fly. He's perfectly content on the ground, and when he meets a new friend, he shows her all the ground has to offer — popcorn, fountain play, a ballet in the park to watch. But when his pal Lulu flies home, Hugo gets sad and enlists the help of a wise old owl pal, who explains that with practice, Hugo will soar. Adorably, when the pair practice flying, "there were many ups ... and many more downs," and Dominguez' illustrations of Hugo flopping about are cute as can be.

Happily, when Lulu comes back the next day, she encourages Hugo with, "It'll be another adventure we can do together. Except this time, instead of exploring the park, we'll explore the sky." Hugo can't resist, and the pair fly, even zipping past the Eiffel Tower in the process.

Irresistible colored pencil illustrations, a fun Paris setting and a sweet, gentle story add up to an A+ tale of preschool courage.

"Cheer Up Your Teddy Bear, Emily Brown!" by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton; Orchard/Hodder and Stoughton; 32 pages; $8.99.

The fourth book in a fantastic picture book series by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton, this tale, filled with childlike drawings, aims to banish the blues and teaches preschoolers an important lesson about self-reliance. When Emily and her sidekick bunny Stanley meet a very unhappy teddy bear, they pull out all the stops to make him happy. They visit Australia and then Yellowstone Park and even the south of France. Still, the "Tearful Teddybear" whines in a black cloud that he's "a lonely only bear and I'm feeling very blue, I've got no teddy friends and there's nothing here to do," distracting his adventuresome friends until his bad mood cloud fills the sky and rain starts.

Emily then puts up her red umbrella, which starts a change, and an array of teddy bears appears, who convince their unhappy friend that if he tries to smile, his whole attitude may change. Lesson imparted here? That with encouragement and friends, the reminder to be happy can easily be achieved.