Thanks to Loving Healing Press, our panel of reviewers had the opportunity to review two of the following books. Check out their thoughts on each book below:
1. Will The Courageous: A Story About Sexual Abuse by Amy Barth
ISBN-10: 1615990003
ISBN-13: 978-1615990009
Will is a typical six-year-old boy: he loves to tell “knock-knock jokes”, collect bugs, and play with other kids. On most school days, Will goes to Nana Winnie’s until his mom returns from work. Will enjoys having his Nana as a babysitter. Recently, Nana’s cousin Perry has come to visit and suddenly Will no longer wants to go there. He starts having nightmares, acting out in school and wetting his bed. Will’s parents are worried. What is wrong with Will?
Chanel’s Journal : After reading this book, I as parent must make sure we equip ourselves in educating our kids. Also, we need to take time to be close with our kids to ensure them that we are there for them so that they are feeling secure and not in fear. Be our kids’ good friend whom they can rely and trust on.
It is a great book for me to read with JL on our journey of learning and understanding…
2 Thumbs & A Dummy -We think that it was definitely well written and once again, simple and easy to understand for school going children. In my opinion, some bits of the story were somewhat graphic but I think this is totally unavoidable due to the message that Ms. Barth wants to bring forth. I think even when Arianna is old enough to understand, it is going to be uncomfortable for me to read it to her but it will be done because we need to educate our children about these sadly, common encounters.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
Mom 2 BB Reviews – The number of sexual abuse cases among children are on the rise but yet, this is a subject that many parents find difficult to broach. With books like Will The Courageous, it helps ease the communication of such issue between parents and young children. It enables us to teach our young children and make them aware of the difference between the touch of someone who is showing them affection and the touch or approaches of someone who is trying to take sexual advantage of them.
Rambling Moo – This book is very helpful for those who works with children such as counselors, doctors and staff working with children as well as parents of young children. The author has written this book in a very easy to understand manner which is suitable for any children between the age of 6-9. Children in this age group will understand about what “inappropriate touching” is about and how they can relate their experience to their parents or caregivers should they are a victim of sexual abuse.
Jamerican Spice – This book is easy to read and understand without sharing too many explicit details so it’s perfect for a child. The illustrations are expressive and interesting and the book is written very well. I would definitely recommend this book!
Tsue ~ That’s What She Said -As uncomfortable as this topic is, the statistics indicate that all children need to be educated about appropriate touching, in an age appropriate manner, and to trust their internal alarms. Will the Courageous ~ A Story About Sexual Abuse is an excellent resource for accomplishing this difficult task.
Shelly’s Bits and Pieces – This book is written in a way that everyone should be able to understand it. It is well written, and handled in a loving manner! The illustrations by Richa Kinra are interesting go hand in hand perfectly with the story. Small children can have things explained in a non-explicit manner, and they are shown that it is not their fault. I applaud Amy Barth for writing this book, as it is a very delicate subject matter to explore. Families need to be aware that these things do happen. Parents need to watch for signs, and they need to give their children the voice to speak out and tell someone!
2. What Do You Use to Help Your Body? Maggie Explores the World of Disabilities by Jewel Kats
ISBN-10: 1615990836
ISBN-13: 978-1615990832
Maggie and Momma love going for walks. During every outing, Maggie learns about something new. Today’s no different! Momma has arranged for Maggie to meet lots of people in her neighborhood. They all have different jobs. They all come from different cultures. They all use different things to help their bodies. Maggie doesn’t just stop to chit-chat. Rather, she gets to the bottom of things. By asking the right question, she discovers how many people with disabilities use aids to help them out. Let’s find out how they work, too!
• Children will learn that disabilities occur in every culture
• Parents and teachers can accurately explain how various disability aids work
• Children will realize that working with a disability is a possibility for some
• Therapists can use this book as a motivational tool for patients with disabilities
• Kids can satisfy their curiosity about disability aids in an unimposing manner
Chanel’s Journal : Overall, this help Maggie to learn of all the different disabilities each person have and how they go through with their daily routine using tools to assist them to lead to normal life. Each person is special in their own way and need to do things differently. They also need to be respected too like normal people. This book would also help our children to recognize others’ differences with respect and never look down or make fun of others.
2 Thumbs & A Dummy – I really like that they covered a wide range of disabilities because it was an eye opener for my kids. It also teaches them to be sensitive and not point out someone’s special need. Though I’m not too sure how Grandpa would react if she told him that he was disable since he uses a walker and a cane! lol But for the moment, we’re enjoying it!
Mom 2 BB Reviews – The book is written in a simple and easy to understand story which is ideal for children aged 6 years and above. I thought the illustration were also a big help as they clearly show the disability aids, which many children may not have seen before OR have seen before, but are not aware of what they really are.
If you are more observant, you may also notice that the characters in the book consisted of people from many different cultural background. Thumbs up to the author and illustrator for including that.
After Meal Gossip -Only when I started reading it to my 7 years old daughter, I realised how nicely thought out it was. The illustration was nice and full page, clearly indicating the body parts which needed help.
Captain Fussybuckets – I read this book to Captain Fussybuckets and he was very intrigued to learn about the different devices people use when they have a disability. I don’t think he pays much attention to these things yet, but there will come a day when he will have questions. It’s definitely a good idea to pre-teach this kind of stuff, in hopes that he will be respectful if he sees someone with a disability in real life. This is a good starting point to teach kids that all people are different and there are many different disabilities and devices that we have, but that we are all the same on the inside and we should treat everyone with respect.
Rambling Moo – This is such a lovely book in explaining why certain people with disabilities require special devices to help them along in their life. Young children will have better understanding why certain people require “assistive devices” and why some don’t.
The Truth About Mummy -The book is soft cover but has large colorful pictures which my girls loved. It’s 24 pages long and rather wordy for little ones but perfect for the 5 plus age group. Middle pink, who is 5, found it particularly engaging and asked a lot of good quality questions. What I like best about What do you use to help your body? is that it’s a perfect discussion started. It inspires all sort of questions and gave me a great way to encourage the girls to think and begin to form their own opinions.
So what is the Duckle Dance? It’s a little bit of ballet, a little bit of tap, and a whole lot of whatever you want it to be but, most importantly, its moving and grooving family fun for all!
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