Book Review
A short overview of this book
Matilda Learns a Valuable Lesson by Holly-ann Martin is a book for children about what to do if they ever feel unsafe.
This book will help children to understand the importance of listening to their body signals, what to do if they feel unsafe, and the importance of persisting with telling until they feel safe again. A great book to use with older children who find picture books too ‘babyish’.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 5 to 10 years.
Buy this book
ā Buy a copy of Matilda Learns a Valuable Lesson by Holly-ann Martin from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! Let’s dive into a summary of Matilda Learns a Valuable Lesson by Holly-ann Martin. This book is part of a series where Holly-ann educates and teaches kids about protective behaviors, specifically focusing on how to stay safe from sexual abuse. She’s a pro at going into schools and providing detailed or brief training sessions to kids.
So, the story starts with little Matilda Anne. She’s got some brothers and a sister, and everything seems fine except when they visit Uncle Charlie and Aunty Rose. Whenever they go there, Matilda starts feeling sick and absolutely hates it. Uncle Charlie does weird stuff like scraping his whiskers down her face, taking out his false teeth, and trying to kiss her. Yikes!
Matilda used to feel really unsafe and would sometimes misbehave or hide just to avoid going. But her mom would always make her go. Then one day at school, Ms. Martin talked about something called protective behaviors. She explained that it’s all about ways to keep ourselves safe. Matilda was all ears and wanted to know more.
Ms. Martin went into the nitty-gritty details, and Holly-ann, being the expert she is, provided information on two important things. First, we have the right to feel safe all the time. Matilda realized that she never felt safe when visiting Uncle Charlie. Second, we can talk to someone about anything. Ms. Martin also talked about early warning signs, which Matilda recognized as the feelings she gets when she’s around Uncle Charlie. Not good.
The book emphasizes the importance of having people in your network who will listen to you and believe what you’re saying. It also talks about persistence. If you talk to someone about your worries or fears and they don’t listen, don’t give up! Keep trying and find someone else who will listen. Persistence is key.
The next time Matilda went to visit Uncle Charlie, she mustered up the courage to tell her mom. Unfortunately, her mom brushed it off and said she’d be fine. But Matilda didn’t give up. She decided to confide in Aunt Rose, who listened and thanked her for speaking up. Aunt Rose promised to have a chat with Uncle Charlie, and guess what? He never did those creepy things again. Now Matilda actually enjoys visiting Uncle Charlie and Aunty Rose because she always feels safe. And she’s even teaching her brother and sister about staying safe too. Way to go, Matilda!
This book not only teaches important lessons but also provides a real-life example of how things can change for the better. Holly-ann even includes additional information at the back of the book about different ways to have conversations and the principles to keep in mind. It’s a fantastic resource to start discussing the foundations of keeping kids safe.
I hope this summary helps you understand the key points of Matilda Learns a Valuable Lesson. Cheers!
