My oldest son has always been a social butterfly. I knew from a young age that we would need to talk about interacting with strangers, early and often. my goal is to be freer in my upbringing, so I knew I would have to equip him with the skills to deal with strangers if I wasn’t by his side. Of course, books were the first place I turned to.
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You are reading: Stranger danger books for toddlers
Finding a good book on “stranger danger” is tricky. We don’t want our children to end up in a dangerous situation, but we also want them to know who they can turn to if they are alone and need help. the topic is more nuanced than “don’t talk to strangers”. It involves identifying safe people and making a plan for possible scenarios.
These books about strangers are the books I felt struck a healthy balance between caution and compassion. I recommend reading them with your children as part of a larger discussion about personal safety. start talking about these things from the beginning and review them often!
Note: My only concern with the books on this list is that they do a pretty poor job of portraying non-white people. however, as far as I can tell, there simply aren’t many books on how to deal with strangers. I hope publishers work to fill this representation gap in children’s books.
Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (and Dragons)by jean e. pendziwol
While playing together at the park, a little girl and her dragon suddenly find themselves transported to a fairy tale world. It’s fun and magical, but there’s also danger hiding in the shadows. The little girl must help her dragon navigate a tricky world where not everyone can be trusted.
This was our family’s favorite book on dealing with strangers. difference between safe strangers like the police offers and strangers kids need to beware of, and the story is told in a way that’s truthful but not scary. I recommend it for children ages 3 and up.
berenstain bears learn about strangers from jan and stan berenstain
There’s a Berenstain Bears book for just about everything. In this book, Sister Bear doesn’t understand the risks of talking to strangers. Her family helps her see that some basic rules for safety can go a long way to protecting her, while still allowing her to have fun.
This classic story reviews some basic safety rules that are easy for kids to remember. I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of this series in general, but I like this book because it focuses on making good decisions no matter the situation. I recommend it for children ages 4 and up.
not everyone is nice by frederick amonti
Kathy is waiting for her mother to pick her up when a man she doesn’t know drives up. He suggests that Kathy’s mother may be hurt or sick, and he offers to drive Kathy home. But when Kathy’s mother drives up, the man speeds away and Kathy is confused. After this encounter, Kathy’s parents have a talk with her about now not everything that looks nice is really nice, using examples from nature.
This book is a great choice for school-age children, but it can scare children under 5. I suggest you review it before reading it with your children to make sure it’s the best fit for your family.
who’s bad and who’s good, little red riding hood? by steve smallman
As Little Red prepares to head out to her grandmother’s house, her mother reminds her to be careful, and to “yell, run, and tell” if she encounters someone dangerous. She ventures out into the woods, and encounters both a wolf who seems scary and a rabbit who seems friendly. Little Red learns that looks can be deceiving and the folks we interact with are not always what they seem.
This book is a good choice for ages 4 and up, but be sure to preview it before sharing it with your young child.
say no and go: stranger safety by jill urban donahue
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Rani’s parents have just had a baby, which means Rani’s grandmother is taking care of her. Rani is reminded of many important things she needs to know to stay safe: her grandmother is her trusted adult, she should always let an adult answer the door, and many more smart rules. She is also reminded that people she “sort of” knows, like neighbors or mail carriers, are only trusted adults if they’re designated as such by her parents.
This cute and helpful book is a great choice for kids ages 5 and up.
never talk to strangers by irma joyce
This rhyming story shows large animals approaching kids to talk in various scenarios. In every situation, the kids are urged to never talk to strangers — even if it’s a leaping leopard or a grizzly bear.
Originally published in 1967, this book is a good choice for very young children, because the use of animals makes it a little less scary. I recommend using this book to introduce the concept of “strange danger” with 2-3 year olds, and then building on that with other books as children get older.
i will not go with strangers by dagmar geisler
Lu is waiting to be picked up after school when it starts to rain. A neighbor offers to take her home, but she knows this is not the person her mother has told her she should go with. Some other adults that Lu knows also offer to take her home, but she knows that she needs to follow her mother’s instructions. Finally, the right person shows up to take Lu home! And who it is might surprise the reader.
This book deals with a very specific situation, but it’s well done. I recommend sharing it with children ages 5 and up.
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