LADY B SPOTS TROUBLE

A friendly ladybug helps a small child learn how to trust his instincts and say no.

Lady B., a kindly ladybug, strikes up a conversation with young Jesse, a blond-haired white boy, about being careful and safe by paying attention to one’s feelings. If Jesse gets a yucky sensation in his stomach—a No feeling, as his grandmother calls it—he’s always allowed to refuse in a big voice and ask a grown-up he trusts for help. Examples include someone wanting to touch a private part of his body or even hug him for too long. But “No is complicated”; Jesse must still say yes to things like doing his chores. Debut author Frank, a sexual abuse counselor and educator, couches his advice in language kids can understand, like defining a private body part as the area covered by a bathing suit. The book doesn’t cover all the bases (for example, learning proper names for private parts), but two additional books are planned in the series. The fanciful illustrations by Shim help soften the tone and, although Jesse is white, his family is shown as racially diverse.

Limited in scope but could help open a difficult conversation.