Rating: 
Summary: The Right Touch honored
Review: "Small Press" magazine (now "Publishing Entrepreneur") honored THE RIGHT TOUCH by naming it a Finalist in the 1998 Small Press Awards, parenting category.
Rating:
Summary: The Right Touch garners acclaim:
Review: "The Right Touch: A Read-Aloud Story to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse" has earned much pre-publication acclaim, including being "selected as 'outstanding' by the Parent Council." Antoinette Botsford, PhD, "Napra ReView," writes:
"Most of us feel helpless when faced with the evidence that children are exploited and sexually abused. You may be relieved to know there is something you can do about it: Get this book. Read it to a child. Encourage others to read it to children. "The text of 'The Right Touch' opens the way for discussions, while carrying a story that stands on its own about a little boy and his mother. Parents uncertain about how to open this ugly subject, or how far to go, will be comfortable with the natural and warm dialogue that gently leads through trecherous waters. Kids will learn how to identify inappropriate behavior and how to say 'no.' "Jody Bergsma's elfin-like tinted drawings will delight a child's heart as well as the child in you." Debra Pexa, Executive Director, Advocates for Victims of Violence, Valdez, AK, writes:
"'The Right Touch' is an honest, yet gentle, story dealing with a difficult and sensitive subject...'The Right Touch' is a valuable tool for parents and anyone working to prevent child sexual abuse. I look forward to using this important resource in our organization." Elizabeth Duncan, PhD, a child psychotherapist in the Seattle area, writes:
"Filling a serious need in young children's lives, 'The Right Touch' introduces what is often too mysterious, frightening, or embarrassing an idea--abuse of a child's body by trusted adults or older children. the way the subject is approached maintains and validates little Jimmy's rightful sense of power and control with dignity and shared responsibility. Mother is ready to believe, to help, protect, and be a part of any happening. "Jody Bergsma's illustrations add to the sense of reality and familiarity. Showing Mother living with Jimmy in an accepting, nonthreatening, loving manner reassures the reader, unconsciously, that what Mothers says she means and will do. That what she says is true. "'The Right Touch' should not only be widely distributed, nationally and internationally, but parent study groups could well be founded around it. I most highly recommend this quiet, but powerful, little book!"
Rating: 
Summary: Worth Every Penny
Review: Child molestation is an uncomfortable topic. But far worse, it is a very real danger. A large percentage of childhood molestation goes unreported, silently scarring a child for life. This book strikes the right balance: it is not too technical, not awkward, and most importantly not frightening. The message is conveyed through a mom telling a story to her child and through repetition. The content and wording is geared toward a child as young as 3 although concepts such as trickery and secrecy are a little difficult to teach at this age. The book gives context and viable solutions that a child can handle. My child is now very good at screaming "Get away from me; I'll tell my mom and dad!" Don't take the risk; read this book.
Rating:
Summary: an important book!
Review: Endorsed by many child abuse prevention programs and counselors, this is the perfect tool for parents to teach children about inappropriate touching.
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Summary: School Library Journal Book Review
Review: From School Library Journal: PreS-Gr 3--A picture book that clearly instructs children on how to deal with unwanted and inappropriate touching through a heart-to-heart talk between a little boy and his mother. The author sensitively distinguishes between the loving touch we all need and "secret, deceptive, or forced touching."...An informative foreword to adults gives valuable information on communicating personal safety to children and advice for helping those who report abuse...The primary audience will be parents looking for materials to help them introduce this important topic, but older children will find the clarity and warmth of the message reassuring on their own.- School Library Journal, July 1998
Rating:
Summary: A Complete Lesson for Children
Review: I felt this book is a must for children. It is the best book I have read to teach children how to protect themselves. There are so many tricks people use to get access to children. This book covers them all, including trickery, deceit and secrets. It also teaches children to listen to their own internal warning system. This is so important so they will act on it and not ignore it.
I was not sure how to approach the topic with my 4 year olds. This book made it possible to prepare them without scaring them.
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Summary: Well done-Wise Parental Instrument!
Review: The best source I have seen to date for very young children on the subject of sexual abuse. Such a tough subject and very well written and illustrated. Every parent should be pro-active and discuss abuse, this title is sure to open the door to communication. It also does so in a child friendly manner and does not shock or upset even the most conservative reader. An invaluable and excellent tool for any adult to help educate and arm young innocent children. Perfect addition for any library.
Rating:
Summary: A lovely, warm, wise treatment of a very difficult topic.
Review: The book is a wee bit bigger than 8 1/2 by 11, a very good size for reading to a child. It is gorgeously and warmly illustrated by Jody Bergsma, a woman of great talent and much understanding of the child's eye. This is a book for helping to prevent child sexual abuse. Sandy is an expert in this problem, and has done much work to help put an end to it. In this book she has done a very great service to a (hopefully) much wider audience. There is a "note to parents and teachers" at the beginning of the book, which discusses the question of child sexual abuse in a succinct, knowing, and helpful manner, better than I've ever seen it dealt with. Then the story. I really like the way that Sandy has chosen to present this difficult topic. The book describes a conversation between a loving mother and her son Jimmy, in which she gently and carefully raises the topic of "touching problems" and goes on from there. This must be a godsend for parents who might have difficulty in starting a conversation about something so intimate. They can "break the ice" by reading this book to their child, and then perhaps repeat the conversation with their own child for real. The converstion between Jimmy and his mother covers just about everything that a small child needs to know, in a very subtle, gentle, and wise way. Like when intimate touching is OK (doctor, diaper changing, parental tending to hurts, etc.). Like how to say NO to somebody. Like how sexual touching is really not that much different from bullying and playing tricks: it's bad, it's not your fault, and grownups can help you stop it. There is great wisdom in this book. I see it especially in what Sandy has chosen to leave out. There are no graphic details, just phrases such as "touching you under your clothes". There is no need for more, since if things have gone that far they are already very wrong, and that's all that a small child has to know. There is no naming of body parts. There *is* a picture of ! a girl's body and a boy's body, but Sandy chose to leave out the labels and let parents choose the words that they are comfortable with. I won't go much further in describing this book - you all should order it and see for yourself - but I will give one last word of praise for Jody Bergsma's illustration on the back cover: it's called "Garden of Children" and depicts children and animals expressing various emotions, in a big beautiful collage of faces. It's apparently used much by counsellors in helping very young people identify their feelings. My two young readers commented the most about that illustration. It's available as a poster, too, but I won't tell you how to order it. You have to buy Sandy's book to find out.
Rating:
Summary: Love means telling the truth.
Review: The only reason to give this little book 5 stars is the lack of a 6 star category. My own children are grown now, but this is a book we will share with future grandchildren. My children were educated about "right and wrong touches" at home, in school, and at church. Thankfully they were spared such an experience, I was not. As a survivor of childhood molestation who told no one for nearly 20 years, I felt all the responsibilty for the abuse, and the total inability to tell a parent, teacher, or friend. Some of the scare are with me still, but Sandy's book empowers child and parent alike. The language, illustrations, and approach are frank but gentle. Presentation is sensitive to very young children, and different terms for body parts. The read-aloud thrust strengthens parent-child interaction about this vital topic. Best of all, the refences for further reading and help organizations provides the tools to go further in education, or to obtain assistance if the worst case has occurred. Actually the worst of all cases is to have abuse, and no one to tell. Bless you Sandy, keep books like these coming!
Rating:
Summary: The Right Touch Recognized
Review: The Right Touch has received the Benjamin Franklin Award as the best parenting book of 1999.
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