Tappy: The Touch
Overview
An activity-based children’s book that helps young learners understand touch by exploring the spectrum of safe and unsafe experiences and the emotions they evoke, through age-appropriate storytelling and reflection.​
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Target Audience: Early Years & Primary Students (Ages 4-8), Parents, Educators, School Counsellors
Duration: Flexible
Client: Independent Publication
Tools Used: Pages App
Concepts: Body Safety, Safe & Unsafe Touch, Child Sexual Abuse, Emotional Awareness, Consent & Boundaries
Year: 2023​​
Process
I conceptualized 'Tappy: The Touch' as a tool shaped by my commitment to child safety and the need to create developmentally appropriate ways for children to understand body autonomy and emotional awareness. To make these sensitive conversations feel safe and accessible, I personified touch as 'Tappy', an invisible presence children can feel but not see.
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Rather than simplifying touch into “good” or “bad,” I designed the book to explore the spectrum of safe and unsafe touch and the wide range of emotions it can evoke. The narrative intentionally moves from familiar, positive sensations (gentle, warm, comforting) towards more complex and uncomfortable experiences (confusing, uneasy), allowing children to build understanding at their own pace.
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I was intentional about moving away from instruction and labelling, instead creating space for reflection. The book invites children to make sense of their own experiences rather than being told what to think.
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More than a story, this work is designed as a bridge for dialogue. It concludes with an interactive activity where children identify and encircle words that reflect their own experiences, opening up meaningful conversations with trusted adults.
Through this, the aim is to support children in recognising their feelings, trusting their instincts, and developing the confidence to speak up when something does not feel right.