Hands Are Not for Hitting (Ages 4-7) (Best Behavior Series) Reviews

• a picture book to teach nonviolence

  
  By A3SMR4HRFJARSC on 2001-12-31
  This book is in the category of picture books that gets read to children to teach a lesson (rather than being a simple story picture book). The title says it all but the back cover also gives a great summary (which you can view right here on Amazon). The pages are covered with ideas for what hands are to be used for (playing, working together) and then each page has numerous illustrating examples (building snowpeople, sandcastle, block tower, etc.). Over and over we hear that hands are not for hitting but they are for doing many positive things.

  I am a homeschooling parent of a four-year-old who at times hits others. Our biggest problem though is bullying being done to him by others. I bought this to read to him as a reminder because for a while he was learning more from imitating his peers (hitting back) than listening to what his father and I were verbally teaching him. I figured having this book around the house could not hurt. My son likes to browse it himself and look at the pictures and I read it aloud from time to time. I don't read it a lot because since he rarely hits it is a little annoying to keep telling him something he already knows. However, this is published by a publisher focusing on books for teachers and schools. I think the best way this book could be used would be to read it aloud to groups of children because there is bound to be a child in attendance who may need a reminder. This would also be a great book for public libraries to have in their collection for parents to borrow.

  The illustrations are cute and brightly colored. At the back of the book is a note to grown-ups about teaching non-violence to children. There are approximately 4 pages that list out additional activities and discussion questions to go along with each page of the book. There is also a listing of books that expand on various subjects touched on throughout this book. I can't think of any way that I'd improve upon it. Overall a great book on this important subject!
  
  

• I loved this book!

  
  By A193EQETSK0VCJ on 2002-03-22
  I bought this book, and "The Way I Feel" in response to my almost 2 year old going through a hitting phase. I could not be more pleased with how this book (and the other) addresses the issue and proposes solutions for dealing with anger and frustration. My son LOVES acting out the things that hands can be used for. He sits through the whole book and often wants to read it again. He quotes catchy phrases that he remembers from the book. It is so interactive! I really think that it has made a difference in my son's behavior over the period of 3 weeks.
  
  

• An ideal "read aloud" book for parents and care givers.

  
  By A14OJS0VWMOSWO on 2000-09-19
  Hands Are Not For Hitting is a gentle, encouraging book for beginning readers that shows all the good things hands can do from playing, sharing, clapping, and counting, to helping, building, being kind, and staying safe. Kids will learn alternatives to hitting -- such as drawing pictures, jumping up and down, talking about feels, and simply walking away. Highly recommended, Hands Are Not For Hitting is an ideal "read aloud" book for parents and care givers, there is a special section devoted to ideas for things to talk about and activities grownups and kids can do together.
  
  

• It depend on what you are looking for .....

  
  By A3N69DAS9TM33S on 2006-06-14
  This is a great book, if you want your child to think of all kinds of great things you can do with your hands.
  
  but..If you are looking for a book to teach your child WHY you should not hit or anything about feeling and emotions involve in hitting than this is NOT the book for you.
  
  

• MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

  
  By A1XJOSJN6FHFO0 on 2003-04-15
  What a delightful learning book this is.
  Full of bright, colorful illustrations that bring the point across without any confusion!
  The author shares all the wonderful things hands are good for, playing, drawing, saying hello, to name a few of the many examples used in this read. . Just adorable!
  
  I shared this book with my 3-year old granddaughter. I can tell you, it was a hit!
  This is a sturdy, colorful, well constructed
  book. A book that can take the abuse of a younger child and still stay in one piece. Not an easy feat!
  
  A great book with a great lesson; one your child will treasure and read over and over again. Hands are NOT for hitting! I've learned my lesson, have you?
  
  Recommended!
  
  
• great for pre-schoolers!!
  By AFNJGOQ71ZRKJ on 2004-01-08
  My 3yr. old loves this book. As we read the book, he acts out all of the correct things to do with hands (hugging, helping, shaking). When he gets angry and wants to hit--we remind him of this book and he calms down.
  It is simple enough for a child to understand and gets right to the point.
  
  
• It worked for us
  By A133S2FHNKK2O9 on 2006-01-07
  I bought this book because my 2-year-old little girl was hitting me on occasion. We read it together, and she loved it right away. We read it a few times a day for several days, and I noticed a difference in her behavior from the get-go. If she hit or if she looked like she was going to, I would just tell her, "Hands are not for hitting" just like the book says. I would say her hitting decreased by well over 90% within a few days. Now, months later, she very seldom hits. When she does we pull this book out again and read it together. Anyone with a small child who hits should try this book.
  
  
• Not what I thought
  By A3B8CW50D04ZWQ on 2006-02-08
  It only says 'Hands are not for hitting' once or twice. Most of the book gives the child positive things to do with their hands (which is good), but I was looking for something else, I guess.
  
  
• Much better than the board book
  By A2XGJPFM849D2R on 2007-03-15
  I bought the board book before reading the actual book (hardcover or paperback) and was AMAZED by how much was left out. The board book is extremely watered down and simplified in order to fit in a board format. I usually don't mind this, but by the time my child was old enough to understand the message, he really needed the more than the board book offered. For example, the paperback takes pages to explain why hitting is not nice- it hurts people- and why people hit- they feel sad, or angry or jealous or scared. The board book does not. I think the reviewer who said that this book doesn't address WHY hitting is wrong, may have read the board book too. The full version offered here has several pages to answer that.
  
  
• This book really works
  By A37J91RK5UJVLJ on 2005-11-22
  My son was 14 months old when he got this book and it was a gift from god. He would always be pulling my hair and slapping my face. So after we read it a few times he understood. When he hits me I will take his hand and say "Hands are not for hitting what are hands for"? and start doing everything it said in the book. He is 17 months now and doesn't do it anymore!! I can't wait to get him the other one Teeth are not for bitting!
  
  
• the title says it!
  By on 2000-06-22
  If children can just remember the title, that would be a greathelp. This is published by Free Spirit so you know it is good. Theyhave lots of good books written by people who work with helping children. [...] Learning Abilities Books [...] has a lot of good books about character development, anger management, LD, ADD, etc. Some of the books are for the children, themselves, to read.
  
  
• AWESOME BOOK!
  By on 2002-06-25
  This book is perfect! Great illustrations, very easy to read and easy for children to understand. Very to the point, hands are not for hitting but they are for playing, washing, hugging. Wonderful!
  
  
• Excellent learning tool!
  By A1JAQMPIJ0TWZ8 on 2005-08-07
  I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old son who has been having trouble keeping his hands to himself and learning how to control his frustrations. This book has become a favorite of his to read and teaches good behavior in a wonderful way. We even use the catch phrase "Hands are not for" and he replies with the "hitting", when we catch him in the act. We have found it helpful and a great book.
  
  
• Spankers beware!
  By A2TNGMGL4FQYXV on 2006-11-10
  Those of us who occasionally resort to a spank now and again may not appreciate this book which fails to differentiate between toddler act-out and a parental form of discipline called "spanking". This is a shame, because when properly and MODERATELY dispensed with, a parent can get the attention of a toddler like no other form of disclipline. I'm sure most people can relate to the thwarting of a child's insane attraction to things like busy streets, playing hide-and-seek in shopping malls, electrical sockets, etc. whereby a spank (or the threat of one)most likely has saved a child's life!!
  
  
  
• Great book for toddlers
  By A3QLMXDJOPBVR3 on 2006-09-19
  I read this book to my toddler when he started hitting and then reinforcing it by saying hands are not for hitting when ever he would hit. It really worked - he loved doing some of the fun things that hands are good for as we read along. I liked it that it focused on positive things to do with your hands while still enforcing that hitting is not what hands are for. Great book!
  
  
• Hands are not for Hitting
  By A1TN7SP9VVKA9D on 2005-09-09
  My 19 month old son LOVES this book. It's one of his favorites. It is simple but the message is powerful and perfect for little hitters. I would recommend it to everyone that is struggling with hitting behaviors.
  
  
• Great book
  By A3G2YMTGRF822D on 2005-10-04
  Such a creative and colorful book! my 2 year old loves reading it with me!
  
  
  
• great book
  By APN0BGOEYQFDK on 2006-08-29
  shows many ideas of what hands can be used for and they are not for hitting.
  
  
• good, but too wordy
  By A1BYWAMW13PK1A on 2007-08-06
  This is a good book, based on the whole series. But to me, and my 28 month old son, it is too wordy. I have cut out a lot of it and picked out my own main points that deal with his behavior problems and left out a lot of other stuff. I think the board book would be better, like the others I have (Teeth Are Not for Biting and Feet Are Not for Kicking). Maybe would be better for older kids. But I still like the concept and he still enjoys it, just not as much as the other two.
  
  
• Hands Are Not for Hitting
  By A2MD39TMZR5EZX on 2000-07-18
  This book is not only well written but also well illustrated. Instilling in children nonviolence and ways to avoid and deal with situations that arise with other playmates is so needed in today's society. My seven yr. old nephew couldn't put it down. He loved it and interacted as he read it.
  
  
• Hands are not for hitting
  By A28UHL9SRON3WA on 2007-04-05
  Overall a good book which talks about the many uses of hands besides hitting. However, the price of the book is to much.
  
  
  
• Hitting Hands
  By A2CD58X4QVWNMS on 2008-10-06
  I purchased this book for my 22 month old who has learned that hitting is an "effective" way to get his big brother's attention. My son is fascinated with this book and obviously gets the message. We have a few other books from this series and love them.
  
  
• Good message, and lesson for any young child
  By A2NBRQWA4ZR3C0 on 2007-04-03
  While I as a parent really liked this book, my son was not so interested. We read it every so often because of its good educational message, but its not his favorite. Nothing against the book itself, I think its just a matter of personal preference.
  
  
• Disappointed in board book version
  By AX9TUAAHH1ZIS on 2007-06-09
  A previous reviewer had mentioned that the original book is more in depth, so maybe I should have opted for that version, as I was disappointed in the board book's lack of content. It tells what hands are used for, and adds in "hands are not for hitting" occasionally, but doesn't even touch on why we don't hit.
  
  On the plus side, the book is nicely illustrated, has wonderful warm colors, and even has a small section with helpful hints for parents/caregivers on how to help your toddler deal with frustration.
  
  
• My kids like it a lot
  By A16WF6TK5RUXT5 on 2007-08-23
  My kids like this book a lot. They each have a favorite page of the book, they fight over it, and they like to have it read to them. It is sturdy construction, and has not yet been destroyed or even seriously injured. On the downside, I wish that there was a better link between the words and the pictures, so that I could more easily go from reading the few words to pointing out something about the illustrations.
  
  
• Hands are not for Hitting
  By AFM4P5MZECFAA on 2007-09-27
  Hands Are Not for Hitting This book approaches the problem of toddlers hitting others and pets with imagination. Children find it fun and enjoy trying to find other things they can do with their hands without hitting. This would be a good book in an infant school library and is for anyone who interacts with toddlers on a daily basis. Will help positive development with social skills. Highly recommended for mums, dads and grandparents.
  
  
• Great Book!
  By AN43M2ZWGLV8D on 2007-10-08
  This is a really great book. When my 2 year old daughter started hitting, my daycare provider suggested this book. My daughter loved reading it at bedtime and her hitting has stopped! Now she will reminder other, "Hands are not for hitting".
  
  
• my toddler and his day care class love these books...
  By AR8IELDT10MOQ on 2007-10-23
  We love this series of books! My 20 mo. old little boy was making his way through all these phases, hitting, biting, kicking, as most little boys do. He was having "time outs" at home and at day care. After a very long weekend away on a trip with a biting grandson and an exhausted mommy, my mom came across the book "Teeth are not for Biting" and bought it for us. After reading it a couple of times with him and then re-reading it after a biting incident the biting ended. Shortly there after we found "Hands are not for Hitting" and the hitting stopped. I was so happy with the results I bought a set of books to donate to our day care center. They have had great results too.
  I really liked the gentle, yet straight forward way it addressed the behavior while offering positive things to do with your hands instead of hiting, etc. The illustrations are colorful and playful. Wonderfully age appropriate.
  What's also great about these books is that at the end of each one there are other tips for parents and caregivers about how to handle the behaviors.
  5 stars for this series!!!
  
  
• Good book
  By A23JZAUWOIKRUA on 2007-11-05
  This book is nice, but not fantastic.
  I think I wanted more creativity in what hands are for...
  
  
• Great Book
  By AZGMW3U2NFC1H on 2008-01-12
  This book reminds kids of all the fun things they can do with their hands and what is unacceptable behavior. Easy to read with nice illustrations.
  
  

• Teeth Are Not for Biting (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)
• Words Are Not for Hurting (Ages 4-7) (Best Behavior Series)
• Feet Are Not for Kicking (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)
• Share and Take Turns (Learning to Get Along, Book 1)
• The Way I Feel