Welsh translation of NSPCC book aims to teach children how to stay safe

The NSPCC’s children’s book, Pantosaurus and the Power of PANTS, is being made available in Welsh in every primary school, nursery and library in Wales.

Pantosaurus a Phŵer y PANTS has been made possible by a grant from the Welsh Government and is published by Rily Publications and translated by author Luned Aaron1.

The original book, written by Rebecca Girlings and illustrated by Fhiona Galloway and Jamie Nash, is based on the charity’s Talk PANTS campaign, which features Pantosaurus, the NSPCC’s friendly dinosaur, who teaches parents and children about how to stay safe.

Talk PANTS aims to help children recognise what abuse is and how they can speak up if they are made to feel uncomfortable.

It provides advice to parents and carers of children aged three to eight years on how to talk to children about sexual abuse in an age-appropriate manner1.

NSPCC Cymru has also launched new bilingual PANTS resources that are free for schools and childcare settings to use and cater to children aged three to 11 years old, including those with Additional Learning Needs.

Thanks to the government grant, 10,000 copies of the book will be distributed across 2,000 primary schools, nurseries, and libraries throughout Wales by the end of this month.

Sexual abuse

The book aims to help children learn about the PANTS rules that promote their safety against sexual abuse. Each letter of PANTS represents a simple but valuable rule: Private parts are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you, and Speak up if you’re worried or upset. These rules empower children to protect themselves and seek help from trusted adults when needed.

Research conducted by the NSPCC suggests that 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused and, through PANTS, the charity is working to make sure that all children have the vital language that they need to speak out to a trusted adult.

Since the launch of the Talk PANTS campaign 10 years ago, 1.5 million parents have already had one of these conversations with their children and the Pantosaurus Song has been watched more than 3.7 million times by families.

The NSPCC now hopes the book being available in Welsh will help many more parents and carers talk PANTS with their little ones.

Tracey Holdsworth, Assistant Director at NSPCC Cymru, said: “We’re so excited to launch our Talk PANTS storybook in Welsh, featuring our friendly dinosaur Pantosaurus.

“This bright and playful picture book is perfect for reading with younger children and not only will they love Pantosaurus and his roarsome story, it’s also a fantastic tool for parents and carers to spark conversations with their little ones to help keep them safe.

“I’d like to thank the Welsh Government and Rily for helping us to make this essential book available in Welsh and helping to empower families to talk to children about this difficult topic in an age appropriate way.”

Charity of the Year

The translation of the book into Welsh comes after NSPCC Cymru was recently announced as the Welsh Language Commissioner’s charity of the year.

Last year NSPCC Cymru was officially recognised for its commitment to the Welsh language by being awarded the commissioner’s Cynnig Cymraeg commendation for the progress it was making in offering services to children and young people in Welsh.

Lynda Tunnicliffe, Director of Rily Publications, said: “We want to thank the Welsh Government for supporting this initiative and enabling us to create this essential resource which will reach so many children, carers and teachers throughout Wales.

“I believe that the Pantosaurus book and the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign will definitely make a positive impact to all young children across Wales and it has been an honour and a pleasure to be part of this important project”.

More information about PANTS resources for schools and teachers can be found at learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/pants-teaching.