"The Wise Old Worm then told Rosa how important it is to tell someone who cares about her and who she trusts."
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Looper, Stop Child Abuse by Dawn Fuller Trafford Publishing
book review by Lee Ware
Thousands of children suffer from child abuse in silence. Dawn Fuller helps to alleviate that pain by ending the silence with her book Looper, Stop Child Abuse. A topic that makes people uncomfortable especially when speaking to children, this book acts as a door through which to step into this crucial conversation.
In this story, Rosa and her brother are abused by their father. Luckily for her, Rosa's friends notice she has become withdrawn and encourage her to play with them. Eventually, Rosa is able to open up to her friends who then lead her to the right channel to begin the process of ending the abuse. But not all children know that it is OK to talk about the abuse they receive especially if it is from a parent. Being exposed to a book that illustrates the importance and methods for speaking out could prove beneficial for abused children.
Written in simple language and focusing on the telling rather than the abuse, Looper, Stop Child Abuse is a useful tool for helping children to feel safe enough to open up. At the end of the book are several pages that act as a guide listing the four types of abuse (i.e. physical, emotional, sexual and neglect) as well as some of the ways in which these types are acted out and the effects of such harmful behavior. The story ends with the school counselor and a police officer confronting Rosa's father and taking him away. Rosa and her brother are returned to their mother in time for Christmas, the silence finally broken.