My Body My Taonga: Body Safety with Rāwiri and Ruby

My Body My Taonga is an educational, English & Reo Māori bilingual picture book focused on promoting body safety and strategies to empower tamariki to understand and keep themselves, their taonga, safe.

By centring the story around the journey of two young friends learning about their bodies, the author has opted for a fantastic approach to engage young readers to help reflect the importance of their body safety in a relatable and easy-to-understand way. Full of the necessary information, covering an expansive range of relevant topics. This vital learning tool should be accessible in all public libraries and reading spaces.

The list below provides a glimpse at what is discussed through the book, followed by an NZ resources/support services list, hand activity, ‘things to remember’ list and Te Reo Māori glossary.
- Privacy
- Trusted adults
- Instincts
- Safety/response plan
- Unsafe behaviour
- Bribes, threats, lies, secrets
- Getting help

Delivering all the necessary information to help parents/guardians approach these daunting discussions and help empower them to feel confident in answering questions they may be faced with. It is up to individual discretion when choosing what age to share this book with, though it is suitable for ages 7+.