Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent by Megan Madison: Book-Based Activities & Printables

What if one of the most important things we can teach young children begins with two very simple words?

Yes.

No.

Yes! No! A First Conversation About Consent by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, and Isabel Roxas is a thoughtful, engaging picture book that introduces young children to the idea of consent in an accessible and age-appropriate way.

Rather than making consent feel like a complicated or serious subject, the book connects it to something children already understand: having feelings, making choices, listening to others, and respecting boundaries.

Through colorful illustrations, familiar situations, and simple language, children are invited to begin thinking about questions such as:

Do I want a hug?

Is it okay if someone touches me?

What can I do when I don't want something?

How can I respect someone else's "no"?

These are important conversations—and picture books can give children a gentle, natural place to begin.

What Is Yes! No! About?

Yes! No! introduces the concept of consent through everyday experiences that are familiar to young children.

Children are constantly making choices.

They choose what to play.

They choose whether they want to participate.

They decide whether they want a hug.

They say yes.

They say no.

And sometimes, they change their minds.

The book helps children understand that their bodies and feelings matter and that other people's boundaries matter too.

Consent isn't only about big or serious situations.

It can begin with something as simple as asking:

"Can I hug you?"

And listening to the answer.

Why This Conversation Matters

Young children are learning how to navigate relationships every day.

They are learning how to make friends, join games, express their feelings, solve disagreements, and understand what other people need.

Sometimes children say yes because they genuinely want to.

Sometimes they say no.

Sometimes they don't know yet.

And sometimes they change their minds.

Yes! No! creates an opportunity to talk about all of these possibilities in a way that feels safe and understandable.

The goal isn't to make children fearful.

It's to help them feel confident using their voices and respectful of other people's voices too.

Yes Means Yes — and No Means No

One of the simplest ideas children can begin to understand is that everyone gets to have boundaries.

If someone says:

"No, thank you."

We listen.

If someone says:

"I don't want a hug."

We respect that.

And if we say no, other people should respect our answer too.

These small everyday experiences can help children develop a stronger understanding of respect and personal boundaries.

After reading, you might invite children to think about situations where they can practice asking before joining in.

"Can I play with you?"

"Can I sit here?"

"Can I have a turn?"

"Would you like a hug?"

These simple questions create meaningful opportunities to practice consent naturally through play.

Children Can Change Their Minds

Another important idea to explore is that a yes can become a no.

A child might agree to play a game and then decide they don't want to continue.

They might want a hug one day and not want one another day.

They might say yes to something and then realize they have changed their mind.

That's okay.

Children can learn that they are allowed to communicate when their feelings change.

And just as importantly, they can learn to respect it when someone else changes their mind.

This can become a powerful part of everyday play.

Instead of saying:

"But you said yes!"

we can model:

"That's okay. You changed your mind."

Listening Is Part of Consent

Consent isn't only about saying yes or no.

It's also about listening.

When children ask another child a question, they need to pay attention to the answer.

That answer might be:

"Yes!"

It might be:

"No."

It might be:

"Maybe."

Or even:

"I don't know yet."

Each answer deserves to be respected.

This makes the book a wonderful starting point for conversations about listening carefully, noticing body language, and giving others space when they need it.

Book-Based Activities for Yes! No!

The best way to explore a concept like consent with young children is through everyday experiences, conversation, stories, and play.

Here are a few gentle ways to extend the book.

Create a Yes, No & Maybe Sorting Game

Prepare cards showing familiar situations:

• Giving someone a hug

• Playing a game together

• Sharing a toy

• Sitting next to someone

• Holding hands

• Joining someone's play

Invite children to think about whether each situation might be a yes, no, or maybe for them.

The important part isn't finding one "correct" answer.

It's recognizing that different people can have different answers.

Practice Asking First

During dramatic play, invite children to practice asking before doing something.

"Can I play with you?"

"Can I have a turn?"

"Can I sit here?"

"Can I give you a high five?"

Children can practice both sides of the interaction—asking and responding.

This turns an abstract idea into something they can actually use.

Make a Personal Boundaries Collage

Provide paper, magazines, drawing materials, and simple prompts.

Children can create pictures of things they like, things they don't like, and things they might want to think about first.

There is no need for children to share anything personal.

The purpose is simply to help them understand that people have different preferences and boundaries.

Explore "Stop"

Introduce the idea that when someone says "stop," we stop.

Practice this through a simple movement game.

Children move, dance, jump, or pretend to be animals.

When someone says:

STOP!

Everyone freezes.

Then continue when invited.

This playful activity gives children a physical experience of listening to another person's boundary.

Create a "My Voice Matters" Book

Invite children to make a small book with pages such as:

I can say YES.

I can say NO.

I can ask first.

I can change my mind.

I can listen to others.

I can ask for help.

This becomes a beautiful reminder that their voices matter.

The Power of Everyday Language

One of the things I love about books like Yes! No! is that they give adults language they can continue using long after storytime ends.

Instead of simply telling children:

"Be nice."

we can give them something more concrete.

Ask first.

Listen to the answer.

Respect a no.

You can change your mind.

Your body belongs to you.

Other people's bodies belong to them.

Simple language can make big ideas easier for young children to understand.

Looking Closely at the Illustrations

Isabel Roxas's colorful illustrations make the book especially inviting for young readers.

The children are expressive and full of movement, creating opportunities to look beyond the words and notice what is happening in each scene.

Before reading the text, pause and ask:

"What do you think this child is feeling?"

"Does this child look comfortable?"

"What might they be saying?"

"What could the other child do?"

This kind of visual storytelling encourages children to observe facial expressions, body language, and emotions.

It also reminds us that communication isn't always verbal.

Sometimes our bodies communicate before our words do.

Consent Can Be Part of Play

One of the most beautiful ways to explore the ideas in Yes! No! is simply to notice them during everyday play.

When children are building together, joining a pretend game, sharing materials, or creating a story, there are countless opportunities to practice boundaries.

"Can I join?"

"Do you want to play this way?"

"Is it okay if I use that?"

"Do you want to keep going?"

These small moments matter.

They help children understand that respectful relationships are built through listening, communication, and consideration for one another.

A Book That Opens an Important Conversation

Yes! No! doesn't need to be treated as a one-time lesson.

It's a book that can be revisited.

Read it when children are beginning a new group.

Return to it when you're exploring friendships.

Use it when children are learning to solve disagreements.

Keep the language alive during everyday routines and play.

Because consent isn't a single conversation.

It is something children can gradually learn through the way adults respond to their voices, their choices, and their boundaries.

Extending the Learning with a Book Companion

A meaningful picture book can become the starting point for so many conversations.

My Yes! No! Book Companion is designed to help children revisit the ideas in the story through age-appropriate literacy activities, discussion prompts, sequencing, comprehension, vocabulary, and playful invitations that encourage children to think about feelings, choices, boundaries, and respectful relationships.

The goal isn't to turn an important topic into a worksheet.

It's to create opportunities for children to talk, notice, play, reflect, and use their own voices.

Final Thoughts

Some picture books entertain us.

Some teach us something new.

And some give us words for things that are deeply important.

Yes! No! does just that.

It reminds children that their voices matter.

That they can say yes.

That they can say no.

That they can change their minds.

And that listening to someone else's answer is an important part of caring for one another.

These are big ideas—but they can begin with two very small words.

Yes.

No.

And the understanding that both deserve to be heard.