Not Everyone Is Nice: Helping Children Learn Caution with Strangers

ONE OF THE BEST APPROACHES I HAVE READ FOR THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS YOU NEED TO REACH KIDS WITH IN DEMONSTRATING STRANGER DANGER.

Excellent book for parents teaching children about the dangers of talking to strangers!!!

My daughter (just turned 4) was not scared by reading this book and could relate to the little girl. She had a lot of questions which is a very good thing as it got us talking about strangers. The book also has helpful suggestions for kids and parents in the back. Whether you buy a book or discuss this issue on your own the following fact from the back cover made me realize how VERY IMPORTANT this topic is: "Of more than 800,000 children reported missing each year (2,000 a day), 52,800 are abducted by strangers (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)".

Teaching children to be cautious around strangers cannot be stressed enough. This book does an invaluable service in helping parents address issues of what to do if approached by a stranger and safety steps the children can take. It is NEVER too early to teach children about safety. Sadly, in some worst case scenarios, the point becomes moot. This book is a good preventive tool. The story focusses on a little girl who is nearly kidnapped by a stranger. She is easily misled into thinking he is a nice man. The book provides parents, educators and others with a forum to discuss why not everybody is nice and preventive steps one can take to stack the safety odds in their favor. Making safety talks a regular part of one's lives and routines will ultimately save a lot of lives and also provide tools to build a safer world.

This is a great children's book, teaching children about the potential danger represented by strangers in a way that is very entertaining and not at all scary. The prior reviewer neatly summarized the story line, so I won't retype the same things. What I will add is that I got this book for my nephew and it turned out to be the perfect gift-- he enjoys the story and the colorful pictures, yet at the same time he is learning a very important lesson. Every time we get to the part in the book where the little girl approaches the stranger in the car, my nephew tells me "that's a no-no." He doesn't seem scared or anxious, yet he's learned the important central lesson of the book. One of the co-authors is a psychologist and she's obviously taken great pains to make sure the tone of the book is exactly right for young readers. Included also, for parents, is a list of safety tips, which my sister, as a first-time parent, found extremely useful. Before I read the book, I worried that it might be too serious and intimating for children, but having seen it, I'm a big fan. I'll probably buy several more copies as gifts for other children we know.