Resource Library

If You Touch, I’ll Tell is more than just a book. It’s an alarm system for children!

This book serves a similar purpose to the security alert symbol outside your home, warning thieves to stay away. Every book comes with five paper cutouts that can be adhered to a child’s backpack or lunchbox. These cutouts serve as a warning to predators that the child has been taught about inappropriate touching and harnessing their “voice power!” This book also includes a notes to a trusted adults on who predators are, where they lurk, and how to teach children about inappropriate touching.

(Age Range: 1-12 years)

Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better. This gently told and tenderly illustrated story is for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

(Age Range: 4 and up)

PreSchool-Grade 2. This book is positive and assertive without being frightening. It lets young children know that it’s all right for them to choose when, and by whom, they are to be touched. It goes on to define “private parts” as “the places on your body covered by a bathing suit,” and states that they should never be touched by people other than medical personnel and adults helping with bathroom functions. The prefatory note to parents is an important one as it reminds them to trust a child’s instincts and concerns related to unwanted touching. Weidner’s simple watercolors are adequately rendered and are appropriate to the content. Even with its basic vocabulary and limited scope, this book will need to be, and should be, shared one-on one. – Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, CA

Helping kids set healthy boundaries for their private parts can be a daunting and awkward task for parents, counselors and educators. Written from a kid s point of view, I Said No! makes this task a lot easier.
To help Zack cope with a real-life experience he had with a friend, he and his mom wrote a book to help prepare other kids to deal with a range of problematic situations. I Said No! uses kid-friendly language and illustrations to help parents and concerned adults give kids guidance they can understand, practice and use.
Using a simple, direct, decidedly non-icky approach that doesn’t dumb down the issues involved, as well as an easy-to-use system to help kids rehearse and remember appropriate responses to help keep them safe, I Said No! covers a variety of topics, including:

• What’s appropriate and with whom.
• How to deal with inappropriate behavior, bribes and threats.
• When and where to go for help, and what to do if the people you re turning to for help don t listen.
• Dealing with feelings of guilt and shame