Praise for Tootles
“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!”
“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.
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
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.”
“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.”