My Body Belongs to Me / Mi Cuerpo Me Pertenece: A Book about Body Safety / Un Libro Sobre El Cuidado Contra El Abuso Sexual - Hardcover

by Jill Starishevsky (Author), Angela Padrón (Illustrator)

Acclaimed book, now in English and Spanish, helps adults teach children about abuse, getting help, and how to set boundaries to stay safe.

Without being taught about body boundaries, a child may be too young to understand when abuse is happening--or that it's wrong. Now available in a bilingual English-Spanish edition, My Body Belongs to Me /Mi cuerpo me pertenece offers a tool parents, teachers, and counselors can use to sensitively share and discuss the topic of sexual abuse.

Through simple language and colorful illustrations, this straightforward, gentle book guides young children to understand that their private parts belong to them alone. The overriding message is that if someone touches your private parts, tell your mom, your dad, your teacher, or another safe adult. In a country where, according to estimates from the CDC, one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before age eighteen, this book is an essential abuse-prevention resource to help children feel, be, and stay safe.

Using her experience working as a New York City prosecutor of child abuse and sex crimes, Jill Starishevsky has crafted a book that addresses body boundaries in a way that kids can understand and that doesn't seem scary or heavy-handed. Includes, in both English and Spanish, a letter to adults at the beginning and a section in the back with suggestions and resources for discussing the book with children.

Author Biography

Jill Starishevsky has been an assistant district attorney in New York City since 1997, where she has prosecuted thousands of sex offenders and dedicated her career to seeking justice for victims of child abuse and sex crimes. Her mission to protect children inspired My Body Belongs to Me. A mother of three, Jill has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and is a prevention specialist who, through media appearances and public-speaking events, teaches how to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. She lives in New York City.

Angela Padrón is a writer and illustrator of children's books and educational material. She also works as an adjunct professor and freelance writer. Angela earned her M.F.A. in illustration from Academy of Art University to go along with her two other graduate degrees in bilingual education and reading education, a B.A. in art, and an A.A. in music. When Angela is not working, she enjoys spending time in her studio creating works of art using batik, watercolor, pastels, and charcoal or relaxing at the beach with her family. She lives in Pembroke Pines, Florida.