Max’s Creepy Crawly Slimy Things by Cath Laws and Alicia Moore

Hey there! Welcome to Sex Ed Rescue, the YouTube channel where I review all sorts of books and share resources to help with sex education. I’m Cath Hak, and today I want to talk about a really important book for kids about recognizing their inner warning signals.

This book, Max’s Creepy Crawly Slimy Things by Cath Laws and Alicia Moore, is not your typical book you’d find at a bookstore. It was actually written specifically for teaching kids about protective behaviors. But don’t worry, you can still get your hands on it!

Now, I have to admit, reviewing this book is a bit tricky because it’s quite big. But bear with me, because it’s worth it.

The story follows Max, who loves all things creepy and slimy. His friends think it’s cool, but they wouldn’t dare touch those things themselves. Max’s family, on the other hand, thinks his interests are gross. His Gran even warns him to be careful and stay away from potentially dangerous things.

Max’s favorite things are spiders. He’s fascinated by the way their legs move. But when he shows a spider to his friend Brand, she gets all sweaty and uncomfortable. This is where we start talking about how our bodies can tell us when we’re scared or in an uncomfortable situation.

Max’s friends’ tummies would gurgle loudly when Max touched a spider, and his heart would beat a bit faster. But Max ignores these signals because he thinks it’s not cool to show fear. Maybe Max needs to start listening to his body when it sends him a message.

You see, trapdoor spiders are dangerous, especially if you live in Australia. My parents live there, and my dad often shows my kids trapdoor spiders in the backyard. But he always emphasizes that they shouldn’t do what he’s doing because it’s risky. Thankfully, dangerous spiders aren’t easily found.

Even spiders know how to keep themselves safe. They go into a hole in the ground and close the door. Max, you need to know how to stay safe too.

One day, Max finds a hole in the backyard and is convinced that a spider lives there. He really wants to see this new discovery, so he grabs a stick to poke it down the hole. But then, his heart starts thumping, and he remembers his Gran’s words about not knowing if things are dangerous. So, he listens to his inner warning signals and decides not to poke the stick.

Instead, he draws a hole on a piece of paper and shows it to his Gran, hoping she can help him figure out what might be in that hole. Rather than finding out for himself, he listens to his warning signals and satisfies his curiosity in a different way.

Eventually, he finds someone who can identify the hole as a funnel web spider hole. The gardener warns him to stay far away from it because funnel web spiders are very dangerous. Max tells his Gran about the discovery, and she’s proud of him for listening to his inner warning signals.

This book is a great tool for starting conversations with kids about listening to their bodies. Our bodies have a way of telling us when something might be unsafe, and it’s important for kids to recognize those feelings and know how to act on them.

So, there you have it! I hope this review helps you understand the importance of teaching kids to listen to their inner warning signals. It’s all about keeping them safe and empowering them to trust their instincts. Cheers!