Book In Focus: Mr. Stranger And The Lost Puppy
If you remember, I wrote something about Putnam County launching a project that will put in place fences around their schools. I raised the question “Will fences increase school safety?” I was pleasantly surprised to read a comment from Diane King, author of a children’s book. You can read her comment here.
Anyhow, her book is titled Mr. Stranger and the Lost Puppy. We all know how sexual predators can use a lot of techniques to get the attention of a child and one of the most common ones is to use a pet – a dog usually. Diane King wrote her book after hearing about a predator victimized four children.
What is the book all about? Here is the description right from Diane King’s web site:
Best friends Dejon and Mark know how to be safe while having fun. Besides, Dejon’s mom is at the park with them, so there’s nothing to worry about! Or is there?
With this book parents, caregivers and educators can use Dejon’s and Mark’s experiences to introduce or reinforce the lesson of why leaving with strangers or even people they know is not safe.
This book has an ending that won’t scare your child and is a great tool that can open the channels of communication so your child will feel COMFORTABLE coming to you BEFORE a predator can go too far…. Teach your children how to protect themselves!After reading to thousands of kids, I have learned that most children do not understand the fact that a stranger can still be someone with a familiar face (example–the neighbor living down the street who always happens to be outside when the school bus arrives although they have no children). After reading to them for 30 minutes, they tell me I’m not a stranger–but I remind them that I’m a good stranger and they don’t know enough about me to leave with me! Help your child understand not only the concept of safety but the application of it!
I have been a proponent of school safety and another of my passions is teaching children to love reading. You can thus imagine my excitement when I read Diane’s comment. Though I have not read the book, I am quite certain that it would be a good tool to help children understand the dangers of talking to strangers. I think that it would be a good idea to check your school library if they have a copy. Even better, it would be good to get one if you have children in school.
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Posted on August 15th, 2008 by Deborah J Thomas
Filed under: Administrators, K-6, Parents, People Involved, Predators, School Grade Level, School Safety Issues
Ms. Thomas,
I found this website while doing research for a school safety product we are about to launch and would be interested in communicating with you concerning the dissemination of our information. What our product is called is School Gate Guardian and it is a software product that screens school visitors to see if they are sexual predators, estranged parents with custody issues, and it also electronically tracks approved pick-up lists. Please contact me via e-mail at tkirby83@comcast.net to discuss our venture and how you could possibly help out. Thanks!