Charlie and I would like to share a new children’s book with you this morning. It’s called Sammy the Sasquatch Welcome to Crittertopia by Claire Marie. We were blessed to receive a copy of this book in exchange for this review.
I remember as a child in elementary school having Tornado watches and having to go out into the hall of our school’s and sit certain ways but I don’t ever remember a lock down and now they seem to happen almost everyday. Even though Charlie is homeschooled people with guns can enter anywhere now day and shoot someone.
Which is why I wanted to have not only Charlie read Sammy the Sasquatch: Welcome to Crittertopia but every child in my family no, matter there age. As well as the adults so they can help there children be prepared if they have to be a part of a lockdown. Which I PRAY will never happen but in this time of our lives we all know at least one of our children will have to do a lockdown sometime in there lives.
Before we began to read this book I let Charlie know it was for children from 4-to-8 but I still wanted to get his thoughts on the storyline. Charlike let me know he liked the Sasquatch and wouldn’t mind being his friend. Charlie also said he couldn’t wait to see what Critters are inside Crittertopia which I also wanted to know.
Before we began the story I went over the Authors notes with my family so they would be prepared for a lockdown and how to help not only my nieces and nephews but our grandson.
As we begin the story Sasquatch meets us and we see his City. Carlie said did you see there is Turtleville which he would like to visit. Would you like to go with Charlie? In this school they do a lockdown when any Human enters, and Teacher Lily keeps the children safe. Isn’t that funny Charlie said the teachers name is Lily just like my niece? Now, me and Charlie want to go to this school to meet her. Would you like to come with us?
Charlie and I enjoyed learning about “Lockdown: locks, lights out of sight and we plan on practicing this not only with the children in our lives but also the adults we know. Would you like to join us as we practice so your prepared as well? Check out the last page with the beautiful Butterfly as you end your visit and head home.
“Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” is the simple mantra that School Emergency Management Expert, Trauma Informed Practices Consultant, and former Reserve Law Enforcement Officer, Public Health (B.Sc.), Claire Marie uses to teach young kids about preparing for scary situations.
Whether it’s an active shooter event, earthquakes, fires, strangers entering the building, or wild animals, Claire Maire, author of the new children’s book on emergency preparedness for 4-8 year olds Sammy the Sasquatch: Welcome to Crittertopia [IngramSpark, April 18, 2023], wants to prepare children to listen to a caring adult and act with caution.
About:
Little readers and their loved ones are invited to the magical world of Crittertopia and introduced to the Critter Elders whose magic helps keep it safe in Claire Marie’s new and empowering children’s book Sammy the Sasquatch: Welcome to Crittertopia. Readers in the 4 to 8-year-old age group and beyond meet Sammy the Sasquatch and her friends in Crittertopia who gently teach us all about doing lockdowns, locks, lights, out of sight, and how kids can be empowered to keep themselves safe.
In Sammy the Sasquatch, Sammy and her Forest Friends show readers around Crittertopia and help teach them how they can keep it safe from curious humans who accidentally wander in. The Critter Elders teach kids how to do a lockdown, “locks, lights, out of sight,” and normalize this practice in a trauma-informed (non-scary) way.
With a delightful blend of informative content, magical setting, and adorable illustrations, Sammy the Sasquatch is the first children’s book to clearly teach the steps of doing a lockdown through an imaginative yet relatable story. This book also provides a four-page learning guide to support parents and caring adults on how to have trauma-informed conversations with kids on emergency preparedness.
About: Claire Marie
School Emergency Management Expert, Trauma Informed Practices Consultant, and former Reserve Law Enforcement Officer, Claire Marie has led efforts to support community and systems level trauma informed and resilience practices through education, implementation, and evaluation since 2015.
Her work spans across K-12 school emergency preparedness & management, school safety & prevention systems, community service agencies, and law enforcement mental health and wellness. She is passionate about approaching emergency preparedness through a trauma-informed lens and supporting others to do the same.
Working as a leader in K-12 school safety and emergency management, Claire Marie often hears about young kids and adults struggling with lockdown drills. In her new book, Sammy the Sasquatch: Welcome to Crittertopia she hopes to support adults in lifting the veil of secrecy and silence around practicing lockdown drills through trauma-informed stories along with a magical world that safely introduce kids to different practices that empower them to keep safe, every day, regardless of what is going on in the world around them.
Connect with Claire Marie at www.SammyAndFriends.org, on Facebook at Sammy & Friends, and on Instagram @WelcomeToCrittertopia
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
