I Can Be Safe: Helping Kids Understand Personal Safety and Awareness

by Pat Thomas, Leslie Harker (Illustrator)

Safety first! This book acknowledges kids' fears and all the big feelings they have, and makes them aware of things they need in order to feel safe in different situations―to look both ways when crossing a road, to wear protective clothing for sports, to know their parents' names, phone number, and emergency numbers, and many other details. Parents, teachers, and gift givers will The A First Look At series are great classroom books and promote positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers, and encourage kids to ask questions and confront difficult social and emotional questions. Books feature appealing full-color illustrations on every page plus a page of advice to parents and teachers. What parents and educators are

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Nonfiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

There is more than one Pat Thomas in the Goodreads catalog. This entry focuses on Pat^Thomas, children's author.

Pat is a trained psychotherapist, naturopath and journalist. After working as a journalist and broadcaster in the USA, she now works in the field of child development and writes for various publications including 'Practical Parenting'.

Reviews

[Pablo Enrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves as a functional and accessible starting point for introducing young children to the fundamental concepts of personal safety. The text approaches its subject with clarity, and its message is reinforced by artwork that thoughtfully depicts a diverse range of people, an essential choice for ensuring children do not associate safety or danger with a particular appearance.

However, the book's framework rests on several simplified maxims that, while perhaps necessary for its target audience, require significant contextualization from a guiding adult. The core directives to "always trust your feelings" and that it's acceptable to be "rude" or physical to escape an unsafe situation present a challenge. While these ideas are vital for empowering a child in a moment of genuine threat, they are presented without the nuance needed to distinguish between intuitive danger and more common childhood experiences of frustration or disagreement.

More critically, the narrative operates on the foundational assumption that a child's primary caregivers are inherently safe and trustworthy. This is a significant oversight, as it fails to provide guidance for children whose home environment may be the source of their insecurity.

Ultimately, the book is best viewed not as a comprehensive guide, but as a conversation starter. Its value is almost entirely dependent on the presence of a discerning adult who can elaborate on its principles, address its limitations, and provide the crucial, nuanced understanding that the text alone cannot offer.

[Tami Speakman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very informative for the children. It starts to explain to the children that they have every right to be rude to someone they don't know making them uncomfortable. It shows the kids body awareness and that it is their body and they have a right to tell someone to stop. I would recommend this both to anyone with a 3 or 4 year old starting in school.

[Shantell Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids can be taught self defense and understand the importance of safety in this book. Kids can also gain more awareness and can avoid strangers that could potentially harm them if they aren't careful enough.

[Thi Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives young children can distinguish between safe and unsafe things. Anywhere and anytime, children set the priority of safety first. I like that small detail in this book advises children to remember children's names, parent's names, and parents' numbers.

[Sagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I learned stuff and the art was good. --Sagan (6)

[Ana Tejada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids friendly book.Teaches many way of saying safe and what to do in case of an emergency.

[Tabitha Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very educational!! Would recommend to any parents with young children, especially overly-friendly children.

[Lola Fashina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is good and kid friendly. It teaches different ways to stay safe in case of an emergency.

[Josephine Awak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A safety book that is suitable for children emphasizing safety guidelines, teaching them how to be safe. l recommend every parent read the book with their children.

[Apirada Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its very easy to ready along with children. The safe concept is introduced in different situation. Children have the opportunity to think and answer the questions that are presented in the book.

[Alejandra Cisneros]

A great book about teaching children safety and consent. This could help children understand everydays situations that are not safe.

[Catarra Corbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for teaching young children about staying safe! We have to do this because there are many different people worldwide.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice enough but very much a non-fiction text.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a straightforward book designed to teach kids in a nonfiction way and get conversations started between kids and parents.

[Christine Turner]

ATA Storytime Kit -- Safety education

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.

[Mitzvah Zavala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a picture book that would be best for preschoolers. This is a good book that talks about safety and how to handle different situations. Mainly so they will feel safe in different places and with several occasions.

[Jaime Ann Sanborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for teaching young children about being safe.