'No Means No!' is a children's picture book about an empowered little girl who has a strong, clear voice on all the issues that matter to her — especially those relating to her body and her personal boundaries. It can be read with children aged 3 to 9 and is designed as a springboard for conversations about choices, rights and consent.

The 'Note to the Reader' at the start of the book, together with the 'Discussion Questions' on the final pages, guide grown-ups through the conversation in an age-appropriate way.

Teaching children from a young age to speak up about their rights — and especially about their bodies — gives them the confidence to say something when they feel uncomfortable or unhappy in any situation. A strong, confident voice as a young child becomes a strong, confident voice as a pre-teen, teenager and adult.

With the prevalence today of bullying both online and offline, and other forms of unkindness, young people need to learn from an early age to speak up whenever their rights are not being respected. The aim of this book is to empower young children and to give them a voice, so they can grow up into empowered adults. When a child, teenager or adult says "No!" to any form of coercion, that "No!" should be respected immediately. A world in which "No!" really does mean "No!" is a safer, kinder world for everyone.

Body-safety education — sometimes known in the UK as PANTS-rule teaching or personal-safety education — empowers girls and boys through knowledge and teaches them that they have the right to say "No" and to respect other people's personal boundaries. Both girls and boys learn to ask for consent, and this can be introduced from a very young age. Some of the scenarios in this book reflect the kinds of approaches that adults who behave inappropriately towards children may use when grooming a child — including the desensitisation of a child to having their personal space crossed and to touch. By recognising these scenarios early, the book gives parents, carers and teachers a clear starting point for honest, age-appropriate conversations.