About the Book
Does your child cry, whine, refuse to go to bed, or crawl into your bed at night because your child is afraid of the dark? Are bedtime fears exhausting you and your child, keeping you from getting a good night's sleep? If so, let Uncle Lightfoot help turn nighttime fears into nighttime fun! Previous versions have been tested at four universities and found to be effective in helping children with fear of the dark through a story woven around 17 fun family games and activities.
Michael is afraid at night (e.g., darkness, monsters, noises, burglars, sleeping alone, nightmares), but he wants to learn to be brave. His friend, Jerome, calls him a "scaredy-cat." Uncle Lightfoot, a modern-day Creek Indian, is a retired teacher who knows games that can help overcome nighttime fears. Michael's parents, his brother, Tim, a young blind girl, Elizabeth, and even the farm dog, Lady, are willing to help Michael play the games and learn to sleep in his own bed at night!
17 fun games/activities woven around a fictional story for ages 4 to 8
Colorful, often humorous, illustrations in the 3rd Edition
Children's book contains 88-pages in short chapters (usually 3 to 5 pages each)
14-page Parent Guidebook in the Appendix
3rd Edition is a refinement of an earlier edition that received the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Seal of Merit Award
While gaining tools to deal with nighttime fears, Michael also learns to ride a horse and rescues the dog from a cereal box attack! Can overcoming fear of the dark and other nighttime fears be exciting and fun? Uncle Lightfoot Flip That Switch: Overcoming Fear of the Dark makes a convincing case that it can be.
About the Author :
The author, Mary Coffman, is a licensed counselor who has been involved in bibliotherapy research for years. She previously assisted with research studies on nighttime fears such as fear of the dark at the University of West Florida and Virginia Tech. She also contributed to a study in Europe on Uncle Lightfoot, Flip That Switch. She held a number of positions in the fields of mental health and family counseling and was an adjunct psychology instructor at several colleges in the South and Midwest. At one point in her career she directed a family learning center that provided parenting and literacy programs (e.g., Motheread; Even Start; Parents As Teachers). One of her favorite activities in both mental health and education was to teach parenting classes. She remains convinced that parents are potentially their child's best teachers! Having lived much of her life in Florida and South Carolina, she now lives in Minnesota with her husband, George. The artist, Dianne Dusevitch, has given the Third Edition of Uncle Lightfoot a make-over, adding color throughout the book. She is an illustrator, author, and marketing consultant. She is the winner of national and international illustration and marketing awards and currently lives in Florida. She was the original artist for the research editions of the book. Her illustrations are child-focused and add interest, excitement, and humor to the story.
Review :
"In this book for children who are afraid of the dark and their parents, Mary Coffman gives us a book that is not only engaging and fun to read but also based on the best principles of evidence-based practice. In a recent research program with nighttime fearful children and their parents, we were able to show that a majority of the children and their parents really liked the book, they enjoyed reading it, and they loved playing the games sprinkled throughout the book. And, they got better! Mary has hit a home run with this one. Parents and their fearful children will benefit from it and they will love it. Good on her!" Thomas H. Ollendick, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Virginia Tech, researcher and author or co-author/editor of numerous articles and books, including the just released book, Innovations in CBT for Childhood Anxiety, OCD, and PTSD: Improving Access and Outcomes
"Mary Coffman has given us a wonderful book that contains a story children love and includes an interwoven program to reduce fear of the dark. Both of these have been well-developed and proven over many years of research and field testing. Children enjoy the story and want to read it or have it read to them many times. They identify with the child in the story and want to do what he does, which leads to getting free from fear of the dark. Research studies have shown that most children who engage with this book and play the games will significantly reduce their fear of the dark. This is therapy that is fun, inexpensive, and really works. Plus, the children learn valuable skills they can apply in many other situations. The parent guidebook makes it easy and playful for parents to carry out the program successfully. In addition, parents learn important parenting skills that are helpful beyond just working with fears. Fear of the dark is very common and can lead to many other problems. Now we have an easy, enjoyable, and effective way to address this fear. Mary Coffman's book is a beautiful creation and a blessed gift to the world that will entertain, educate, and reduce suffering." William L. Mikulas, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of West Florida
