Amazon.com

Officer Buckle is a roly-poly bloke, dedicated to teaching schoolchildren important safety tips, such as never put anything in your ear and never stand on a swivel chair. The problem is, Officer Buckle's school assemblies are dull, dull, dull, and the children of Napville just sleep, sleep, sleep. That is, until Gloria the police dog is invited along! Stealthily pantomiming each safety tip behind Officer Buckle's back, Gloria wins the children's hearts. Meanwhile Officer Buckle assumes the cheers and laughter are all for him. As the master comedian Jerry Lewis once explained, every slapstick artist needs a straight man! Children will be highly entertained by the laugh-out-loud, adorable illustrations in this 1996 Caldecott Medal winner, while learning the value of teamwork and a pawful of nifty safety tips. (Ages 4 to 8) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Stay with your buddy!
This book for children is about a police officer (I've been told that it is based, in part, on a San Francisco officer) who gives talks on safety to elementary school children. His talks are quite boring until he is accompanied by his police dog, Gloria. At first he is deflated that the students aren't cheering his presentation; but, with Gloria present they actually learn safety. The book won the 1996 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a children's book. One of the earlier reviewers gave this book only two stars apparently because they couldn't see the humor. Part of the humor can be found in the background and how it meshes with the text.

A Read-Aloud Hit!
Primary age students in our school love to have "OfficerBuckle and Gloria" read aloud to them, and upper grade studentsremember this story fondly.

While the story stands alone as a playful read-aloud, it can be an effective tool for opening a discussion on safety. Officer Buckle keeps thinking of new safety tips that he keeps thumbtacked to his bulletin board, like "never do tricks on the monkey bars without someone there to catch you." The endpapers of the book are also filled with stars containing more safety tips.

Just as the students in the story are entertained by Gloria, the dog, and come away with Officer Buckle's helpful tips, children who read or listen to this book read will be entertained, yet come away with some great advice, such as "always wear a crash helmet."

This one deserves the Caldecott Medal as the colorful, playful drawings are an essential part of the story.

Safety tips
Officer Buckle is a friendly police officer who enjoys making up safety tips and sharing them with school children. However, the school children find Officer Buckle's safety lectures boring, until the day when he takes his new police dog Gloria along with him to the lecture. Officer Buckle doesn't know it, but Gloria has a habit of acting out the tips behind his back while he is speaking. When Officer Buckle finally finds out what Gloria is doing behind his back, he decides to stop giving lectures. But Gloria finds that she can't go on without him, and the school children also miss the fun. The story is very cute and not at all scary.

An officer and a gentle dog
Widely regarded as the least deserving Caldecott winner in the last 15 years. Now that's a pretty negative opening comment about a book that is, all in all, an amusing story about a man and his eclectic dog. And I'm not saying that this book is THE worst Caldecott winner to have ever existed. That honor belongs to the ludicrously racist and factually inaccurate "Abraham Lincoln" by the Parin d'Aulaires. Certainly this is a nice little tale about safety, and it presents actual important safety tips in a fun and original manner. But it's hardly deserving of a medal. Hardly.

In this tale, Officer Buckle finds that his school safety tips are being met with more than a little disregard on the part of the students. Kids are just snoring in the aisles when Buckle reads the list of tips. All that changes when the Officer acquires a police dog named Gloria. Suddenly the kids are wide-awake for Buckle's safety demos, and it's no wonder. Gloria is faithfully acting out each and every safety tip as her owner reads them out. From "Never leave a thumbtack where you might sit on it" to "Do not go swimming during electrical storms". Of course, Officer Buckle has no clue why there has been such a rise in his own popularity. But when watching a taped recording of his own program, the law enforcement agent must decide whether or not he is of any real importance to the community, or if it's all Gloria's glory.

There's a lot to love in this story. Rathmann has fitted many a scene with tiny interesting details. Buckle fans (as well as the Officer himself) sport anti-banana peel badges and t-shirts. Officer Buckle's book collection (containing such titles as "You Can't Be Too Careful" and "Safety in Numbers") is held together by Gloria shaped book-ends. And check out Buckle's final safety tip written in front of him while angrily refusing to do anymore speeches (#100: Never turn your back on a strange dog). The plot is cute as well. It's nice to see an energetic dog in the vein of Snoopy or Mark Teague's Ike that's female for once. And there is a real affection between Buckle and his trusty canine friend. I think back to the scene of the policeman feeding Gloria an ice cream cone after she's given a stint of autographs to waiting fans. Finally, there's no denying that Buckle has come up with some really good safety tips. The front and end papers of this book show some useful stars containing Gloria acting out why one should or should not follow such n' such a tip.

Now when I said the book didn't deserve the Caldecott, I meant it. It's a swell book with a fun story and lovely pictures. But it's not superb. I can only assume it won solely on the basis that it is the only Caldecott book to discuss safety in any serious manner. And it does so without causing undue fear or worry on the part of the small child reader. Which is good. So by all means, go out and read this nice little story. Just don't expect to be blown away by its wit or depth.

just so so funny
we just read it together and laugh and laugh and laugh. and then one of us, my son or i will point to another illustration of gloria's expressions or antics and we just laugh and laugh again. a lovely book. ... Read more

Book Description

When Papa Bear tells the cubs why they should never talk to strangers,

Sister begins to view all strangers as evil until Mama brings some common sense

to the problem. "The Bears' rules for safe conduct among strangers are listed

on the last pages, including a rule about the privacy of a bear's body. A good

book to start awareness in young children."--School Library Journal.




... Read more

Reviews (20)

The best book on strangers for young children
I used this book about 6 years ago to help teach my child about "stranger danger". This book helps to teach about strangers without scaring children away from everyone and everything. All the Berenstain Books are definately worth reading to youngsters - they all teach a lesson or two in a very positive, easy to understand way that is suitable for a wide age range. Most of them also make excellent bedtime stories (I didn't think this one was good for bedtime) and often help children to open up about a subject and discuss what they are thinking or feeling. They are also very good First Books for the cild to read as they get older. I highly recommend this and all of the Berenstain Bears books. My child outgrew them and had given them away, so I am now purchasing a few to give as a Christmas present to a co-workers 3 year old who I think will enjoy them as much as my child did.

One of the least paranoia inducing "stranger books"
I have gotten rid of most "don't talk to strangers" books because they are mostly fear inducing. I want my children to use common sense, and this version emphasises that. Sister (gotta love the names :-) ) fears everyone when first told that not all strangers are trustworthy. Mama comes to the rescue with some much needed common sense and moderation. The book concludes with a plausible example of Brother maybe trusting a stranger too much.

A good starting point for working with young, very trusting children, on appropriate interpersonal interactions, and may help prevent the child from fearing even the grocery store clerk.

What about the rest of the strangers?
The book does teach children about what to do with strangers, but the view of strangers is not appropriate. They are all darkened men. A more developmentally-appropriate, anti-bias book would include strangers of all races, class, personality, and gender.

The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
This is a great book for teaching young children about strangers. My son is 5 and really enjoys reading this book over and over again. The content is informative, but not scary. The comparison momma bear makes between strangers and a barrel of apples is so simple and accurate. The simplicity allows the children to understand you never know what is on the inside of an apple or a stranger. A visual key kids are likely to remember.

Learning About Strangers
This is a good book. My 5 year old son enjoyed the story, and the lessons that I wanted to convey about strangers (what is a stranger, stranger rules, etc.) were covered very well. The story shows how one can become too afraid as well as how one can be lured into leaving with a stranger. Children learn to be careful without being paranoid. Children also learn that "telling" is not the same as being a "tattletell".

We have enjoyed all 8 books that we purchased from this collection. ... Read more

Book Description

This friendly little book acknowledges kids’ fears and makes them aware of things they need in order to feel safe in different situations. They learn, for instance, to look both ways when crossing a road, to wear special clothing for sports, to know their parents’ names, phone number, and emergency numbers, and many other details. A First Look At… is an easy-to-understand series of books for younger children. Each title explores emotional issues and discusses the questions such difficulties invariably raise among kids of preschool through early school age. Written by a psychotherapist and child counselor, each title promotes positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers. The books are written in simple, direct language that makes sense to younger kids. Each title also features a guide for parents on how to use the book, a glossary, suggested additional reading, and a list of resources. There are attractive full-color illustrations on every page. (Ages 4–7) ... Read more

Book Description

Preschool children learn safe boundaries, how to distinguish between "good" and "bad" touches, and how to respond appropriately to unwanted touches.This book is a powerful book for enhancing self-esteem.Parenting Press's bestseller! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very needed...
There are many plusses to this book. That it was even written and is available is a HUGE plus. It is a message that children need to hear...over and over and over...That it is their body. That they have the right to feel *good* or *not good* about what someone is doing to it...and that they can say that, LOUDLY.

I do wish it was more visually *interesting* as it really is geared to younger childen. It could use more color to keep up the interest. Unfortunately, I tended to lose my son's interest when I was reading this... When he was young a *message book* wasn't strong enough reason to sit still, he visually needed the pictures. That said, I still did read this when from time to time. I would just pick up where I *lost* him the previous time.

The importance of this message can't be underscored enough and I don't think that the lack of visual *punch* is enough of a reason to not buy this. On the contrary, I think you should find every way you can to teach this message to your children.

Excellent empowerment for any child
When I worked with abused kids, I came across a wonderful paperback book called "It's My Body" in which a little kid talks about how he/she (drawing is quite gender-neutral) likes giving and receiving some touches, like when Daddy holds his hand or when he climbs into Mommy's lap. He doesn't like giving or receiving some touches, like when GreatAunt Sally hugs him too tight or when someone he doesn't know very well wants him to give them a kiss. If he receives or is asked to give a touch he doesn't like, he says, "Don't do that. I don't like it!" or "I won't do that. I don't like it!" (I believe it mentioned some necessary touches like seeing the doctor...)

We took the book in to my son's pre-K and read it to the class, and all the kids got to chime in and say in a big loud voice, "Don't do that. I don't like it!" They loved it. It is a very non-threatening book, but it allows the child to practice noncompliance in a big loud voice with lots of approval from trusted adults.

Most child molesters select their victims based on the victim's compliance. A young child is naturally reluctant to refuse the demands of an adult. If you train the child from babyhood that he is not only allowed but encouraged to state his noncompliance with some demands on his body, you have given the child a tool to protect himself. A loud refusal attracts attention, which is the LAST thing a pedophile wants, and it may well scare off a predator.

Is it sometimes embarrassing for the parent? Yes! When GreatAunt Sally tries to hug your 3-year-old child and he loudly proclaims, "Don't do that. I don't like it!" you do have a little explaining to do.... When you reach out to give your four-year-old a kiss and he says, "Don't do that. I don't want kisses anymore," it is *very* hard to catch yourself and calmly say, "OK, it's your body and you have the right to decide that." (It was certainly hard for me!)

This is a wonderful book to help any parent make his child less vulnerable to abuse, either physical or sexual. It is very easy to read with your child, very non-threatening, and can be quite fun. I highly recommend it.

It's My Body review
This book is a good effort & very simply based. However, the illustrations are very plain & non-colorful. It was not very sucessful in keeping my child's interest & attention. It is not specific about good/bad-touch examples, but more about how one might feel about them. Unfortunately, I think a child's feelings are often quite confused in regards to this issue, especially when programmed in a continual incestual relationship. So, the message in this book might not be understood by a young child. It could be a helpful book in some cases, but I'm looking for something more helpful. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clifford is always a winner...
Clifford and his adventures are always very popular in my classroom. Some may argue that many of Clifford's adventures are a stretch, they are nonetheless captavating to a young audience. In this edition, Clifford after being introdcued to the role of firefighters and the importance of fire safety gets a chance to be a fire rescue dog is his own right. The book is a great seque into fire safety and prevention. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Commonsense guide, appealing to a variety of ages
This book gives clear, concise descriptions of how a child or young adolescent might handle the unexpected--embarassing, frightening or even life threatening situations.

Each situation is briefly stated on a single page in large type. The next page gives clear instructions on how to get the situation under control and when to call for help. Some of the situations include: dealing with an electrical blackout, being followed by a stranger, finding an injured animal, and what to do when a friend appears to have sustained a head injury.

I showed this book to children of varying ages. It elicited interest from children as young as six and as old as high school. One bright six-year-old buried himself in the book, sounding out the hard words because the information made him feel empowered. Older children picked and chose which situations they read but liked the straightforward approach.

This book would be good for a general population of children and young adolescents. However, it would be especially helpful to children who have social skills deficits.

Great choice for special education teachers and SLP's
This is a good tool for a special education teacher or Speech language pathologists' bag of tricks. It works great with small groups of students and can be adapted for classroom discussions. It is especially useful when working with children who have pragmatic difficulties.

Good book, but some parts are more appropriate for older kid
I thought it was good book, giving guidence to kids in some common and not so common situations. However, I believe some parts are more appropriate for older kids.

This was a good common sense book for kids except page 116
This book is part of our school's family peace backpack along with a video, popcorn, and info on how to get along. There is an error on page 116 of the 1990 version. It mentions that you should put petroleum jelly on ticks to make them get off you. It does not work, the tick has plenty of oxygen, it will not suffocate. It may delay a person using tweezers to get the tick off and the person could get a disease from the tick. I have not seen the 1991 version to see if this has been corrected. Thank you ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Learning Book for Preschoolers
I purchased this book to start to teach my 3 year old about calling 9-1-1. The phone actually works. When you dial 911 correctly, it sounds the alarm and says good job. If you dial incorrectly, it makes a beeping noise. The book does not detail the emergencies, but teaches the basics of giving your name and some circumstances of why you may have to call 911. My daughter likes playing with the phone and practicing dialing 911. Hopefully, she will never have to use it but it is good to be prepared. ... Read more

Book Description

How could someone like Mick die? He was the kid who freaked out his

mom by putting a ceramic eye in a defrosted chicken, the kid who did a wild

dance in front of the whole school--and the kid who, if only he had worn his

bicycle helmet, would still be alive today. But now Phoebe Harte's

twelve-year-old brother is gone, and Phoebe's world has turned upside down.

With her trademark candor and compassion, beloved middle-grade writer Barbara

Park tells how Phoebe copes with her painful loss in this story filled with

sadness, humor--and hope. Chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of their

Best Books of 1996. "A full-fledged and fully convincing drama" (Publishers

Weekly).




... Read more

Reviews (75)

Nataly's Summary about Mick Harte Was Here
This book is called Mick Harte Was Here. This was a good story. It was about a 12-year-old named Mick. He got in a bike accident because he never wore his helmet. He was a really cool and weird kid. All his family and friends were sad because Mick died. Phoebe (his sister) was at soccer practice when Mick's accident happened. His family was suffering from Mick's death. Zoe, Phoebe's friend, was talking about her problems. After that Phoebe and her mom started talking to each other. The family started talking and eating together at the dinner table. They started living like they used to but a little bit weird.

I like this story because it reminds me that my brother and sister are kind of crazy and silly. They really get mad because I'm their older sister. My brother and sister did not die, but they drive me crazy. Anyways, I thought this story was really funny, sad, and kind of stupid. I thought it was kind of stupid because there are some things like on Halloween he dressed like Thomas Crapper, the man who invented the toilet. Another year he even dressed like Henry VIII and another year he dressed like Clarence Birdseye, the father of the frozen food industry. The other stupid stuff that he did was getting an autograph from a man dressed like a bird.

Well, find out the rest. Read it. It's a really good book.

I laughed, I cried...
This is one of the most outstanding books dealing with the death of a child (and the family he left behind) that I have ever read! Right from the start, we are told that Mick will die because the narrator (his sister) doesn't want to use his death as a tear-jerker. After that, the book ranges from horrifying to sad to hilarious. (I always laugh out loud when the story of the monkey in the driveway is told -- read it and see if you don't crack up!) Park captures the pain of losing a sibling perfectly without being cloying or portraying the dead child as perfect. The family is REAL: they speak like real people, fight, laugh, cry, love, hurt, and heal like humans... this isn't a paper family

Nataly's essay about MICK HARTE WAS HERE
This book is MICK HARTE WAS HERE. I want to tell everyone this book is sad and funny. What I like most about Mick is that he dressed as Thomas Crapper for trick-or-treating. Some people don't know about Thomas Crapper. He is the man who invented the toilet. I like the name of the dog Wocket because Mick couldn't pronounce his r's when he was three. The dog's name was supposed to be Rocket.
The sad part is that Mick dies. Mick died from a bicycle crash because he didn't wear his helmet. Mick's family was like zombies. They wouldn't even eat in the dinner table because they saw the empty chair and they missed Mick. The dad didn't even iron his pants, and his mom didn't even change clothes. She didn't talk to her daughter, either.
At the end of the book Phoebe went to the soccer field to sit there, when she saw a stick. Phoebe thought was a perfect size and small enough to carve the letters into the concrete so they could stay forever. She wrote the letters big enough to see them: MICK HARTE WAS HERE. That was the saddest thing I ever heard, and I want to tell everyone you should wear your helmet, if not, every day there will be deaths. This is a great book for everyone.

Mick Harte Was Here by Victor
Barbara Park is one cool author! She wrote other books, but I haven't read them. I have read one, and that's Mick Harte Was Here. It's very good because there was a boy named Mick Harte. He was funny because he was going to his name his dog Rocket, but he couldn't pronounce his R's so he said, "Wocket" instead. After Phoebe's soccer practice, she told her little brother to ride his bike home, but Mick really didn't have a choice. Mick rode his bike, didn't see the rock in front of him, hit the rock, flipped over, and then hit his head. After a while Phoebe heard sirens coming towards her direction. Phoebe saw Mick's bike where he had fallen. Then Phoebe heard the dad say in a sad voice, "He's gone". Phoebe and the dad held hands and walked home acting like if they don't know each other.

The parents blamed Phoebe for this mistake. Phoebe tried to apologize for what she had done. The parents didn't listen to her so Phoebe went looking through Mick's room trying to remember him. Actually, one big accident can cause everyone in the family to act weird; everything was going wrong, and they wouldn't eat together until the end. All they would do was stay away from each other, but they all came back together and everything was back to normal in the end, well, kind of.

But anyway, I wonder why Barbara Park wrote this story. I think because she had a nephew or someone who died in a bike accident without a bike helmet.

Anais's essay about Mick Harte was Here
This book is called Mick Harte Was Here. I really liked this book because I learned that a helmet is very important. If you don't use a helmet when you are riding a bike, then you probably could get a head injury. This book is mostly about a boy who dies of a head injury because he was riding his bike without a helmet. That is what caused the head injury. You could really learn about this book if you read it.
Mick was going really fast on his bike and then hit a passing truck. The cause of hitting the passing truck was that Mick's wheel hit a rock, and Mick flipped over.

This book reminds me of my brother and me because we always get into arguments. He doesn't want to put his helmet on. That is what happened in the story. Phoebe and Mick always got into arguments because they both always wanted the tattoos that came in the cereal boxes. Just like my brother and I, Phoebe never argued with Mick so he could put his helmet on.

I recommend everybody to read this book. It is a really good book. ... Read more

Book Description

Have you ever had to deal with a stranger who made you feel uncomfortable or been threatened by a bully in the schoolyard? Did you know that there are things you can do now that will help you be better prepared the next time around?

Most people think self-defense means fighting, but the best defense has nothing to do with hitting, kicking, or punching. In this book, written by two prominent personal safety instructors, you will discover how to protect yourself by being aware of your surroundings and by using your body language to let people know you're not an easy target. There are ways to avoid being a victim of violence. This powerful handbook provides nonviolent solutions.

Donna Chaiet is the founder and president of Prepare, Inc., a national self-defense program for children and adults, and Francine Russell is an instructor with IMPACT Personal Safety, Inc., in Los Angeles. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Teaches the prevention aspect of bullying
This excellent book could either be used as a vehicle for parent-child discussion, or as a part of a school curriculum. It would be good for older elementary school and for middle school students. It covers a wide variety of safety and personal boundary issues. In this regard, it is superior to many books on personal safety. It presents stories of children and adolescents who are each faced with a dilemma which might put them in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation. It then discusses the options and the possible outcomes.

I like the fact that it starts by teaching kids how to avoid being bullied in the first place.

Carol E. Watkins, M.D.

Very practical advice
This book is chock full of very practical advice. It contains story after story written in a way to seem very realistic -- exactly a situation you could imagine would really happen. Then they give very specific andworkable solutions. I am buying a copy to use in my kid's self defenseclasses. Many self defense books carry very unrealistic solutions or advicethat seems too distant from the real situation. This book will reallyempower kids. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Techniques and life teachings of wilderness survival
Great book for children and adults that Love their kids enough, to give them simple learning skills that could come in handy, when we least expect it. I know of kid's that have already truly been saved by the lessons taught in such a way that, children remember them forever. Everyone should have a copy of this fine work in their home, because we all like the outdoors, but we never know when we might need the guiding know-how in this handbook. As willy says, "make it back safe." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Little Jessica worries about everything: waking up in time for school,filling her dog's water dish, learning new steps in ballet, doing her spellinghomework (she's not even sure how to spell "worry"--"Wurry"? "Werry"? "Worry"?).But now her teacher, Mr. Martin, has given her something new to fret about: It'sFire Prevention Week, and her class has to present what they're learning to theentire school. "'Oh, no,' moaned Jessica."

Author Margery Cuyler and illustrator Arthur Howard helped Jessica through herlast tight spot in 100th DayWorries, and you can bet they'll see her through again--but not, ofcourse, without a lot of hair-pulling. As the week passes, Jessica learns how tokeep her home and family safe--"Smoke alarms! Sprinklers! Jessica had never seeneither in her house"--and proceeds to pester everyone at the dinner table to geton the ball, planning escape routes and installing smoke detectors. But then Mr.Martin piles on more: rules about space heaters and matches and extension cords("She'd never be able to remember so many things!").

But the real test comes when she has to memorize the biggest rule of them all,what to do if you catch fire--"Catch fire! Jessica had never beenso worried in her life"--which she then has to demonstrate for the entireschool! How can she possibly remember? "Flop, mop, and stroll? Stop, pop, andhole?" Only time will tell for this young worrywart, but readers will have funfinding outwhether her memory fails her--and, of course, learn quite a bitabout fire safety along the way. A fun and useful book, but be warned: if you'rehoping to avoid an obnoxious inquisition at the dinner table, make sure you testyour smoke alarms before you read this with your kid. (Ages 4 to 8) --PaulHughes ... Read more

Book Description

Recommended by members of Parents Anonymous, and available in both Spanish and English, this book helps children understand what to do when asked to keep a secret. Some secrets are fun and should be kept secret, author Johnsen explains. But if you feel hurt or confused when you're told something is a secret, you need to tell a grownup. Uses examples of secrets that will be familiar to children. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

There are better books on this topic
As a therapist who works with abused children, I have to say that I am sorry I bought this book and will not use it.

This book is about when children should keep secrets and when they should not. Part of its purpose is to help children protect themselves against sexual abuse, but this aim is not achieved. The author uses the "good touch, bad touch" concept, which experts such as Jan Hindman, author of "Just Before Dawn" strongly discourage. ("Just Before Dawn", by the way, is a great book on sexual abuse, but written for adults, more for therapists than laypeople.) It is not helpful to a child's normal development to label sexual touching as "bad touch". It is especially devastating to the sexual abuse victim who may have had a pleasurable bodily response to the abuse, which is not that uncommon. The "bad touch" concept will make this child feel guilty and bad and even more afraid to tell. It is much better to explain to the child that, except for the doctor, no adult is to touch the private parts of a child.

Another glaring mistake this book makes is that it advises a child to tell anyone who attempts to take their clothes off or touch them in an "uncomfortable way" to say, "No! I'll tell." Tellling a perpetrator "I'll tell" could end up getting the child killed. Of course, the child should tell, but not let the perpetrator know.

Two much better books on this subject for children are "My Body Is Private" and "Your Body Belongs to You". ... Read more

Book Description

Kids learn how to build the four Constructive Use of Time Assets: Creative Activities, Child Programs, Religious Community, and Time at Home. Stories, tips, and ideas promote healthy, constructive, relationship-strengthening interests and activities. Two-color illustrations, 5 1Ž8" x 7", ages 8-12 ... Read more

Book Description

Hip Hop Mob kangaroo characters, Runabout and Rhythm, first explain what a stranger is and the difference between a good and bad stranger.They proceed to show how strangers come in all different colors, shapes and sizes.Examples of situations with stangers are given and children are instructed on how to react. Although this books is excellent for children of all ages, it is geared for ages 2-8. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Some very dangerous advice...
Like many parents, I scrutinize books dealing with stranger safety because it is such a critically important issue. I was very disappointed with this book. Ms. Gross's overall determination to rhyme each passage makes it difficult to understand many sentences. But, most importantly, she also imparts some very dangerous advice to her young readers.

For example: "Good strangers are people your parents talk to. You can trust them to know just what to do." What an appallingly irresponsible and dangerous message for our young children, who are as helpless and incapable as we are of discerning between the harmless milk man and the pedophiliac tree surgeon! Mommy and Daddy talk to many strangers, and cannot know whether they are good or bad!

On the very next page, Ms. Gross suggests that we solve that problem by resorting to stereotype: "Community helpers can help even more. Police, firefighters, letter carriers or....doctors and dentists who round out the team, and teach you things always aren't what they seem." At first I couldn't even discern this poorly constructed passage. When finally I made sense of it, I was horrified to realize that Ms. Gross wants our children to believe that "community helpers" are unilaterally SAFE. Not only, her words imply, should they not be questioned but they are the ones providing the right answers ("...teach you things are always not what they seem."). SAFER, even, than the "good" strangers.

My children live in the same world where their peers are tragically molested every day by coaches, babysitters, neighbors, and many other "community helpers" (yes, even doctors and dentists!) and "safe strangers." My ambition is to impart clear and sensible rules to help keep them safe, something that must be accomplished without introducing prejudice and typecasting.

This book sends out very dangerous messages, both in terms of safety and social responsibility.

The BEST Stranger Safety Book I've seen!
This is an excellent book to read to any and all children. It covers taking candy, secret words between parent and child, running away if someone tries to grab you, and who is a stranger, what do they look like. It's a cute book at the same time. Read in a sing-song rhythm it is one of my children's favorite books.

Knowledge is power! Make your children aware, not scared and they have a better chance of being safe and sound.

an important reminder for all sensible parents
I happen to live in the country where crime rate is the lowest among the most developed countries; even then, the crime rate is rising steadily. There is hardly any book in print in this country that gives advice to parents on how to teach your children protect themselves against "strangers". This is the issue that seldom being addressed in this society. Unless a real crime has been committed in the neighborhood the parents are seldom encouraged to talk to their kids about stranger safety. I am glad that I am one step ahead of those parents because it is never too early to educate your kids on this subject. It is very difficult for a young child to understand the concept of "stranger" and its relation to "danger". But this book has done a good job. It really shows to the child that bad guys can look like anything and they can use any tricks just to get what they want. The book has really helped me to start a conversation about self protection and bad guy identifying with my child. Also, the illustrations are funny and the lines are in rhymes, it really holds a child's attention. ... Read more

Book Description

Mr. Rabbit's feet are stuck in cement and all of his friends are trying to

get him out. Follow their hilarious hijinks in this delightful tale of what

happens when you don't pay attention to where you are going.




... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Book!
With great illustrations, my 3 years old son can read out the story even without knowing the words. The story is about a rabbit that was struck in the street with cement. The animals in busy town tried to find ways to get the rabbit out, including using big fan, dump truck, stick, and finally power shovel to scoop him up. It is amazing that just with the simple questions, like "Can we blow him out?" can arouse the interest of the little reader to read the book. This is one of favourite bedtime stories for my son. It is really a great book. I highly recommend this book for toddlers.

THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THIS BOOK IS FUN!
Like other richard scarry books this one has the usual FUN cast of characters....The pictures are charming and the words are not imtimidating. It would be easy to follow and predict the words because the pictures are so discriptive. This was a great early reader book.:) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

All parents should read this to their children!
My 4 year old LOVES this book!

I had only talked briefly about fire safety until this book. It's written in a cute rhyming style, and it's easy to make it into a song or make it into a catchy tune while reading. We made it like a song. This really drew my child into the story, and even myself. I was so engrossed in it that I almost choked when I caught a glance of my child's wide-eyed horror look when we got to the climax part about the house catching on fire and needing to just get out leaving everything (toys) inside. I never stopped reading, and at the end, my child had tear filled eyes and just buried her head in my lap. We both cried, and then talked about the book and read it again. There is a cute summation poem at the end, that hits on the major point again that there's 'just one you' and doing what you need to do to keep yourself safe if there's a fire.

This book lead us to a wonderful discussion about fire safety. Stressing the person is more important than what's in the house, getting out safe, having a meeting place, etc. My child has a hard time thinking of leaving her toys behind if the house were to catch on fire. I think it's wonderful how the books stresses the importance of the individual..."because there's just one you."

We checked this out from our local library, and it's one we'll be buying to add to our own! Now, if this same writer/illustrator had one about strangers....

Great for Kids!
Kids will love this book while learning fire safety tips. For teachers who teach fire safety, this book is a must. Even upper elementary kids will love this book. Children will feel sorry for the dragon, but can even learn from his mistakes. ... Read more

Book Description

Hip Hop Mob kangaroo character, Runabout and his family face the dangers of fire while teaching children life-saving techniques.Children will learn to think fast and react without fear. Although this book is excellent for children of all ages, it is geared for ages 2-8 ... Read more

Book Description

Vroom-vroom! Ratta-tatta,
ratta-tatta. Cha-kung!
Nobody can catch LUCKY CHUCK!

Speed along with Chuck in this reissue of a funny, fast-paced tale by one of America's most beloved authors, Beverly Cleary. You'll quickly learn what happens when safety rules are ignored and be fascinated by the detailed motorcycle drawings. J. Winslow Higginbottom's original pencil illustrations have been brightened with color to give Chuck's bike a clean red shine for this new edition.

Happy reading and riding!

Reviews (1)

Great Intro to Road Safety
I read this with my 3 year old son, and he adored it! We've had it out of the library at least 12 times, and have decided to buy our own copy. It is well-written and realistically-illustrated, with an emphasis on safety, rules and respecting the police. Mom figures largely, also! I recommend this to anyone with a child who is a motorcycle nut; the endpages have neat illustrations of the parts of a motorcycle! ... Read more