TREMONT, Ill., April 22, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Parents cannot stand guard over their children 24 hours a day, but they can teach their children how to look out for themselves. In his book, Kidstone Cops: Learn to be Safe!! (now available through AuthorHouse), Steve Martiens gives parents and kids a useful tool to avoid dangerous situations.
Inspired by Martiens' own three children, Kidstone Cops is an interactive book designed to help parents, grandparents and guardians arm their children with the necessary information to face emergencies or mishaps. Martiens uses the Kidstone Cops characters, Lt. Mary Lee Gall and Sgt. Will O'Bay, to tell the story of a young boy named Johnny who finds himself separated from his class while on a field trip. Because he remembers the information his parents taught him, Johnny makes it safely home.
After Johnny's story, the Kidstone Cops step in and explain the information that Johnny remembered. The book becomes interactive, with space for children to write down their parents' names, addresses and the name of their teacher and school. This interactive lesson can be useful for children in preschool through second grade, while additional available space for "special information and instructions" can be used by older children to jot down notes for their own purposes.
Using his own color illustrations, Martiens portrays the Kidstone Cops as friendly characters who are ready to help and protect whenever they are needed. Martiens hopes that this teaches children to trust police officers instead of being intimidated by them. With this book, and more soon to follow, Martiens puts the Kidstone Cops out on patrol to help parents and guardians teach children to stay safe.
Martiens has spent the last 19 years working in an environment where safety is top priority, and he feels that teaching kids how to be safe in a variety of situations will benefit them as they grow. Martiens hopes to turn his passion of writing and illustrating into a career with Kidstone Cops, the beginning of a safety series for children.
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