Book Review
A short overview of this book
Ask First, Monkey! : A Playful Introduction to Consent and Boundaries by Juliet Clare Bell is a book for younger children. It is one of the many books on this topic, that will help parents with having this important conversation.
This picture book shows children aged 3-6 what consent is and why it’s so important. It’ll help young children to understand issues of consent and personal boundaries, and to teach them to consider the feelings of others.
It is an ideal tool to encourage early understanding of consent, Ask First, Monkey!, helps to empower children to respect themselves and others, and teach them that a reason for ‘no’ is never needed.
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 3 to 5 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Ask First, Monkey! : A Playful Introduction to Consent and Boundaries by Juliet Clare Bell from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak, and welcome to Sex Ed Rescue. On my YouTube channel, Sex Ed Rescue, I review books because I believe they can really help with conversations about sex education. Books give us ideas and reminders about what to talk about. If you want more resources to get started with sex education, you can check out my website, also called Sex Ed Rescue.
Today, I want to talk about a book called Ask First Monkey by Juliet Clare Bell and Abigail Tompkins. It’s one of the many books out there for children about consent. It’s pretty cool to see how consent is becoming such an important topic that big publishers are putting out books on it. I remember when the first books about consent came out, they were all independently published. But now, they’re getting the attention they deserve!
Sometimes, books about consent can be a bit serious and not as fun to read. But this one strikes a good balance. It’s a story about a little monkey who loves to tickle people. But when someone tells him to stop, he doesn’t quite get it at first. He tries to offer different ways to tickle, but eventually realizes that not everyone enjoys it as much as he does. The book also touches on the fact that it can be hard to say no or understand when someone else is saying no. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to body language and get a clear yes or no.
The book teaches kids that it’s okay to ask before tickling someone. Monkey goes around asking different people if they want a tickle, and some say yes while others say no. It’s a simple but effective way to show kids the importance of consent.
Now, I have to admit, this book isn’t perfect. There are a few things they could have added to make it even better. But hey, no book is perfect, right? If you come across this book at your local library, I’d say go ahead and grab it. It’s another tool to help teach kids about consent. In fact, why not borrow a bunch of books about consent from the library? The more ways we can talk about these topics with kids, the better.
When my kids were younger, I used to pick one or two educational books about sex ed or emotional intelligence to read to them at night. They didn’t mind at all! So, if your kids are younger, you can definitely introduce them to books like this. As they get older, it might be a bit trickier, but that’s okay.
I hope this review was helpful for you. Remember, talking about consent with kids is important, and books can be a fun and engaging way to do it. Cheers!
