LOUISVILLE — Former Army officer Kirk Hilbrecht and his wife, Sharron, know how difficult it can be for children in military families to deal with frequent moves and other aspects of military life.

        “With the number of times that most military families relocate and the hectic lifestyle, it's not very easy for kids,” Ms. Hilbrecht said.

        So the Hilbrechts, who live in Louisville, teamed up to write and illustrate a series of children's books that teach young readers what family life in the military is like.

        The couple's latest book, My Daddy Is a Guardsman, is already available to many military families. Last month, thousands of copies were distributed by the Air National Guard across the nation.

        “The Air National Guard ordered 12,000 books so they could give them to members of the Guard who have children,” Ms. Hilbrecht said.

        “The books were mailed out with packets to units that are being deployed to help with the war.”

        Brig. Gen. Edward Tonini, chief of staff of the Kentucky Air National Guard, said that in addition to the My Daddy book, the Guard has bought 3,000 of My Mommy Is a Guardsman.

        Both titles are being distributed across the country as part of Your Guardians of Freedom, an effort that provides information to military families and encourages community support for military personnel.

        “We saw the Hilbrechts' first book while working on Your Guardians of Freedom, so we had them customize it for the Air National Guard,” Mr. Tonini said.

        “We wanted something to send to children ages 4 to 10 so that they can have a sense of participation in what is going on if their parent has been activated.”

        Mr. Tonini said plans are under way to customize the book for children with parents in the Air Force and the Air Force Reserve.

        Recent changes in the world have also resulted in increased sales of the Hilbrechts' first book, My Daddy Is a Soldier, which has sold about 10,000 copies at retail — not in bulk to the military — since being published in 1997.

        “After Sept. 11, My Daddy Is a Soldier sold out on Amazon.com, so the publisher is doing a third printing,” Ms. Hilbrecht said. “We're just hoping that these books will help families, especially those who are serving our country during this difficult time.”

        Mr. Hilbrecht, who left the Army in 1997 after eight years, is director of interactive media at Doe-Anderson Advertising and Public Relations. Ms. Hilbrecht works part time for Catholic Charities.

        They have three children — Kyle, 5; Claire, 2; and Emily, 3 months.

        “We didn't have any kids when we wrote the first book, but we had a lot of friends in the service with children,” Ms. Hilbrecht said. “Kirk actually came up with the idea of My Daddy Is a Soldier in church one Sunday.”

        To illustrate the books, the Hilbrechts work as a team, with Kirk drawing the illustrations and Sharron finishing them with colored pencils.

        “There are several Web sites where Army wives have posted comments about the book, saying how much it helped their kids,” Ms. Hilbrecht added.

        “For us, that is the most rewarding part of this. We're not in this for the money. Our profit is knowing our book helps kids.”

        Although My Daddy Is a Guardsman is not available for retail sale yet, the 30-page My Daddy Is a Soldier can be bought for $6.95 at www.Amazon.com.

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