This is a cute read and all the little characters are adorable. I know the younger children would love this book.I also know that little kids in my family will love this too.

Thank you Netgalley

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a story about a sasquatch named Sammy who is taking your children on a tour of her hometown. They end up at her school, which is very much like a human school when an unexpected human shows up and they have to enact their special human security protocol. They talk about being very quiet and turning off the lights and hiding, and it was at about that point that I realized this was basically describing a lockdown drill, which just made me sad, because I hate that that is a thing students in America have to do on a regular basis for safety. But I can see how this book could help teachers of very young students explain it to their classes to make the drills themselves less scary.

The illustrations were very bold and colorful, and as fun as they can be considering the subject matter. I wouldn't want to read this book more than one as the subject matter makes me angry, but I also came to the book after my kids were old enough to not need this kind of coddling to practice for a potential school shooting. So in spite of my feelings on the subject matter, I give this book 4.328 out of 5 stars.

This is a cute book about Crittertopia the land where all the critters live. This is a nice book for younger children.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

My son enjoyed this book. I thought it was going to be a nice book about a sasquatch, I didn't expect a more serious tone referenced. The illustrations were really good and my 4 year old enjoyed them.

Sammy The Sasquatch helps tackle tough topics in a way that helps kids understand what's happening, but not scare them too much.

Let me start by saying I hate that there is a need for there to even be books on this topic at all. I think that tackling this topic in the way the author intended is a great idea, and the forward of the book that's dedicated to the caregiver is a 5 star situation.

The child facing portion, however, leaves some things to be desired. The illustrations feel disjointed, as though the illustrator hasn't yet found their style, or purchased files with the settings/backgrounds and dropped their own characters in. They aren't cohesive and don't fit together. Specifically the street scenes (p13 & 14) and the school scene (p22) feel very strange to me.

The child facing story is a great start, and is likely meant for very small children who can't be bogged down with a longer conversation, but it feels like such a heavy topic to boil down to just a few sentences.

I am so happy to see books like this addressing difficult topics, like lockdowns, to kids in an age-appropriate, non-threatening way. The illustrations in this book are adorable, and the story is a great way to approach the topic with kids in a way they have the opportunity to voice their thoughts and fears with an adult. Highly recommended for your classroom!

[Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review on the book!]

Wonderful book with beautiful illustrations. Great characters to follow along on this adventure. Kids are going to love the character of Sammy. Good family read.

Not many children's picture books attempt to address the complicated, scary subject that this book does. By establishing a fantasy world where lockdown procedures at schools are practiced, this book lightens the mood of such situations. Sammy the Sasquatch is an original world with a typical premise (a hidden world protected by magic), but it turns an often-used trope into a strong and safe way of addressing serious topics. This seems to be a good starting point for discussing school lockdown situations in a safe and less serious way, though teachers may need to bolster it with a level of seriousness unseen in the book. Nevertheless, this is an original and relevant work with a fresh world—"Crittertopia"—for kids to indulge in. Well worth the read and a springboard for safety procedures that could save lives.

This is a cute children’s story about a magical world where Sasquatch’s live their lives in a special place that humans can’t see because it’s hidden by a magical spell. This book goes through how to stay safe in emergencies and lockdowns and be careful when out in the world by Sammy the Sasquatch. Sometimes it’s hard for parent to find the words to tell their children this book will help with that. Thank you netgalley

That took a turn I wasnt expecting! I thought it would be a simple book that I could read during the fairy tale theme But it wasn't. There was make believe too, and I know it could fit in with that theme, but there is also the theme of lock downs. Unfortunately lockdowns are a part of everyday school life. And it's hard for me to explain to my 3 and 4s why we have to go in the corner and hide. But this might be a simple way to explain how we do this.

Honesty, it’s heartbreaking that this book even needs to exist.

This book teaches students the step-by-step process of what happens during a lockdown. The author, Claire Marie, wanted to discuss this important topic with a trauma-informed approach while not making it scary for kids. The book comes with supplemental pages to help adults lead this discussion.

Claire is a great choice to author this book. She’s a School Emergency Management Expert, Trauma-Informed Practices Consultant, and former Reserve Law Enforcement Officer.

Again, I don’t want you to have to have this book in your classroom and honestly, I’m pissed that it’s gotten to a point where this is a necessary lesson. That being said this does seem like a great way to approach such a complex topic with young children that are affected by it in school. It releases on April 18 and I hope school librarians add it to their list of books to purchase.

This book was written to explain the purpose of lockdown drills in schools. It is meant to alleviate the potential fear that the drill may cause in children. Their imagination gives them the power to think of all kinds of scenarios that may lead to an actual lockdown. For some kids this can be terrifying. This book gives a parent and a teacher an opening into a conversation with the children by placing it under the safety umbrella, showing the similarities between wearing helmets and looking both ways before crossing the street. The intro explains how to use this book as a conversation starter. The pictures and short story will draw the young readers in.

I requested this book because of the cute art and magic storyline. I knew it would be about safety and lockdowns, and the book handled the topic very well. The young one I read this with was very engaged and not frightened. Not the book, but the necessity of the book, frightens me. This might be a hard read for parents or guardians but a necessary, sobering one.

A cute way to approach a hard subject. Lockdown is inevitable in school's these days but this was a fun way to make it not seem so scary.

This is the best way I've seen to describe lockdown drills to children. I wish we didn't have to do them at all ever but this is a good way to make it easier for everyone.
It is cute too.

This was a fun story to read with my son. He enjoyed following Sammy on her adventure through Criteropia and the human world. The story includes important things about safety for children to learn. The story kept my young son engaged.

This is a book to teach little ones what to do if a dangerous person comes into their school. It is fun with Sasquatch’s and humans but the story is serious. The author spends several pages at the beginning of the book in this. It prompted even my older child to talk about drills they have done at school. An enjoyable and informative book.

Cute book, sad but necessary topic. This is a good book for parents to use to help teach young children what lockdown is about without causing fear. In my opinion, for ages 6 & below. I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of these books to see what other topics they write about & how they can help my kids!

I think this book is a cute premise, teaching safety to your children. I will say though some of the sentences are a mouthful, this would be hard for a younger child to understand. For example: Crittertopia- maybe shorten the name of the magical land, I think by making it a bit of an easier read it would encourage the younger aged children to read it on their own or even bring it back out after already reading it once or twice. The turtles name is also a little odd something like Tim, Tom or Timmy would be easier to read and understand. Overall cute read and great premise to help a child learn about safety in schools.

This is a wonderful book to open discussion about fear and about safety, how children can keep safe in an emergency, told in a matter-of-fact manner with beautiful illustrations. At the beginning of the book, the author gives lots of suggestions for school staff and caregivers for discussing these difficult topics. Lockdowns, including drills, are very frightening and unnerving. Recommended.