This is the unusual classic tale of two German boys who are friends when the Nazis come to power. David and Oskar share Otto, the bear. During the course of the war, he is lost to them - David, a Jew, is taken away, and Oskar is forced to leave his home because of the falling bombs - and has all kinds of mishaps and trials of his own. The events and fallout of the war are largely seen through Otto's eyes, and he doesn't understand the madness of the world around him; this means that children listening to this story, like Otto, are shielded from the harsh brutality of the war - you may feel this is a good thing, or you might want to use the book as a gentle starting point to talk about the events of the war. If you're not sure about the content of the book, for this one I would recommend watching a read-aloud on Youtube so you get a feel of whether this is appropriate for the children you have in mind, but you should know that the book ends happily, with both owners and Otto reunited despite all that has happened!