Praise for Tootles
A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE
“The book was definitely helpful to me and my daughter. It made her more confident and aware that she can speak to me about anything. Given current personal circumstances in our lives, this book has been a tremendous help to my family. I want to thank you for instilling that little bit of hope back in me and allowing me to regain an opportunity to find answers. My daughter is very outgoing and enjoys talking. I could not understand why certain places and how certain people could change my child into someone with a personality that I barely could recognize. However, she was able to see a corresponding relationship between what took place in the book and what is going on in her life. I appreciate the author and idea behind helping other people speak up about things going on in their personal life. Thanks for everything!”
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MY VOICE
“TOOTLES THE TURTLE TELLS THE TRUTH” definitely gives children a voice. I remember my first time reading it; all I could do was cry and ask why this book wasn’t written when I was a little girl. This book would have been my voice, because my voice was taken when I was 2 years old by my uncle who started molesting me. I gained the strength to tell my grandmother but was told by her to never say that again, my voice was taken. After that night I never said a word to anyone else about the molestation that was happening to me throughout my life. I can recall as an adult, looking back on my life, and remembering being sexually abused by 15 different men which included my Uncle, the man that worked for my dad, the janitor at school, the basketball couch, two stepdads, friends of the family and raped by my brother and I never told anyone…
I believe that if this book was in my school or at my doctor’s office or if someone in authority would have read it to me as a little girl, I believe that I would have felt safe enough with that person to use my voice again to tell what was happening to me.
Several things I noticed when reading this book is that it helps children to understand the difference between a good secret and a bad secret. It also helps them to understand that if they tell they will not be in trouble, but that it will help to stop the bad person from hurting them. This alone opens the door for them to feel safe to use their voice, because they desperately want the hurt to stop. This book also teaches the child and parents some of the signs and symptoms they may be experiencing due to a secret that is being kept. So if the parent or caregiver notices these signs in a child, they can talk to the child to see if there is something going on.”
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
“As a Police Officer for twenty four years, I have seen the consequences of someone who had been being bullied as a child. Many times the oppression against a child continues its effects into adulthood. The trauma caused by this selfish act can have an everlasting and difficult effect on an individual.
Lenell Levy Melancon has taken the steps to combat the secrets behind the disturbing actions of bullying and abuse in her book, Tootles the Turtle Tells the Truth, an interactive tale about secrets, by introducing children at an early age to the possible aggression they may experience among their peers.
I highly recommend this book.”
END THE CYCLE
“Children who carry undealt-with trauma into adulthood oftentimes find themselves in various life-controlling or self-destructive patterns. Tootles the Turtle Tells the Truth, written by local author Lenell Levy Melancon, is an interactive tale about secrets. The timely book encourages everyone, but especially children, to expose, rather than harbor, burdensome secrets, therefore taking their power back from their perpetrator. By being taught at an early age to use their voice and not carry the trauma into adulthood, they will not only become physically and emotionally healthier, but mentally and spiritually stronger, too. This powerful tool prevents children from becoming trapped in a vicious cycle of abuse.”
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
“As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), I can attest to the validity of Ms. Melancon’s approach to the delicate subject matter that the book is designed to communicate. The bulk of my professional work has been with adults and youth who were victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. I understand the challenges faced by both the victim and the victim’s support network when trying to talk about abuse.
I strongly believe that Tootles is a step in the right direction for abuse prevention, identification, and treatment initiatives. Tootles teaches children skills for communicating instances of abuse, and gives adults a non-threatening way of broaching the subject. The simple, relatable story helps normalize the sensitive subject matter and sets the stage for positive talk. I am presently in the process of assisting Ms. Melancon with conducting a quantitative analysis of the book’s impact. Preliminary surveys show a statistically significant increase in youth openness to sharing scary secrets after being read the book. It is my belief that a robust study will further demonstrate the efficacy of Tootles for preventing and identifying instances of abuse. If you have any questions about the initial data collected, or the plans for the future study, please do not hesitate to contact me at
brittanyhstephenson@gmail.com.”
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
“The I CARE Alcohol, Drug and Violence Prevention Program of East Baton Rouge Schools is using the Tootles the Turtle books in skills building lessons and has currently made the books available in its online library for use by teachers and counselors in schools across the district. ICARE Specialists have found the books to be effective and useful in assisting with teaching young children about dealing with traumatic events, and recovering from loss.”
A BOOK FOR YOUNG AND OLD
“I would like to share a few words with you regarding the book Tootles the Turtle Tells the Truth, an interactive tale about secrets. I read this book and I was totally amazed and moved by the purpose this book serves. There are so many scared little “Tootles” out there who continue to remain silent, due to fear. With this book, victims will be able to break the silence and get the help they truly need and deserve.
I especially loved the fact that there are interactive questions and comments in the back of the book. I strongly feel this gives the parents, guardians, caregivers etc. the opportunity to open the dialogue with their young ones. This can be challenging at times; however, with the help of this book, it can be done with ease.
I recommend that this book get in the hands of as many individuals as possible. This will really make a difference in the lives of our young ones in today’s society.Who knows what can happen when you open the dialogue. There may be older “Tootles” out there who may be inspired to reveal their secret after keeping it in for all these years and begin the healing process.
I recommend this book to individuals young and old.”
“Every parent and every school should have this book!”
“A simple, charming tale that packs a powerful punch.”
Testimonials
“Tootles the Turtle Tells the Truth is an excellent book for children, done in a unique way, to get across not keeping secrets. When children are abused they so often are only given the message to keep it a secret. Tootles shows children you don’t keep secrets and it is safe to tell. It empowers children not to be a victim and how to use their voice. I recommend this book for any parent or teacher to use when talking to children on personal body safety.”
“As an educator in public and private schools for over 25 years, I have seen the effects of childhood abuse and bullying played out every day in the classroom. Some children will spend their lifetimes trying to overcome the shame, loss of self-confidence, crippling of personal relationships and disenchantment with the school experience as a result of these tragic, unsolicited, secretive encounters. In the hands of a caring parent, counselor or teacher, Tootles the Turtle Tells the Truth has the potential to lead to resolution and empowerment for these sensitive children. This delightful, empowering book gives children permission to expose burdensome secrets. I highly recommend Tootles the Turtle Tells the Truth as a valuable tool for any professional who cares about children.”
“Violence against women and children is at crisis proportion in the world. Mahatma Gandhi, icon of peace and social justice, noted that the civility of a society is reflected in how it treats the weakest of the weak. That being the case, society at present is far from civil. In this first children’s publication by intuitive author Lenell Levy Melancon, we catch a glimpse of a remedy that society might take in protecting its young. Ms. Melancon captures the nature of the secrecy surrounding an episode of abuse and powerlessness in this charming little tale of Tootles the Turtle, helping children see a way to break the silence, and providing parents and caregivers with a tool to expose traumatic events. Only someone with an understanding of the many facets of emotional pain and a beautiful, light spirit in search of truth could have written such a captivating tale. We look forward to more of her unique perspective.”
