A story that helps children find their voice before harm finds them.
HOPE Roars is more than a children’s book. It is a gentle, imaginative tool created to help children understand that their voice matters, their feelings matter, and they can speak up when something does not feel right.
At For the Silent, we believe protection should not begin at the moment of crisis. It should begin earlier, in the everyday moments when children are learning who they are, what safe adults sound like, and how to recognize when something feels off. That is why HOPE Roars matters.
This book was created to help us get there before.
Before confusion turns into silence.
Before vulnerability is exploited.
Before a child believes they have to carry something scary alone.
In a world where children are being exposed to more, and at younger ages than ever before, we cannot afford to wait until there is already harm to respond. We must move earlier. We must place language, courage, and truth into the hands of children while their stories are still being formed.
HOPE Roars is one way we do that.
Why this book Matters
Children do not need fear-based messages. They need simple, steady truth.
They need to know:
they can listen to the signals inside them
they can talk to a trusted adult
they are allowed to speak up
they are never responsible for someone else making them uncomfortable
their voice is powerful
HOPE Roars introduces these ideas in a way that is age-appropriate, warm, and memorable. Through story and imagination, it helps children begin building the kind of inner confidence that can become protection long before they would ever need the word prevention.
This is the heart behind the book and the heart behind our mission: to get there before.
Before exploitation.
Before isolation takes root.
Before a child feels alone with something they do not understand.
Because the earlier we move, the more children we help protect.
A word from Hope
As told by Hope the Lion to Suzy Shepherd
Hello, little one.
I am Hope.
I am the whisper that reminds you to tell the truth when your voice feels small.
I am the brave flutter in your chest that says, “Something isn’t right.”
I am the light that shines even when things feel confusing.
I am not loud because I am angry.
I roar because what is good and true is worth protecting.
I was made for children with tender hearts and bright imaginations. For children who are learning the world is beautiful, and also learning they can pay attention to what they feel. I come padding through these pages to remind them that courage can be gentle, wisdom can grow early, and even the smallest voice can carry great strength.
I am Hope.
And sometimes hope sounds like a roar.
Suzy Shepherd is the Executive Director of For the Silent and a longtime advocate for vulnerable children and youth. Her work has been shaped by years of listening closely to children, families, and survivors—and by a deep conviction that prevention must begin earlier than most communities realize.
HOPE Roars was born out of that conviction.
Suzy wrote this story to give children language, courage, and connection before harm has a chance to take root. She believes every child deserves to know they can trust what they feel, tell their story, and reach for help. Through this book, she hopes to place a simple but powerful message into homes, schools, churches, counseling spaces, and communities: children matter, their voices matter, and hope can begin early.
Meet Suzy Shepherd
The artist behind the story
The world of HOPE Roars was brought to life through thoughtful, beautiful artwork that helps children feel the story before they fully understand all its words. Each page was created to be warm, emotionally safe, and visually memorable—drawing young readers into a story where courage grows and hope comes alive.
Watch the video below to hear more from the artist about the creative process, the visual storytelling, and the heart behind the illustrations.
Our goal: every child under 7
Over the next three years, we are working to place a copy of HOPE Roars into the hands of every child under age 7 in our community.
Why under 7?
Because by the time many children are older, exposure has already begun. Questions have already surfaced. Confusion has already taken root. We want to move upstream—to reach children in the years when trust, identity, voice, and emotional safety are still being formed.
This is not just about distributing a book. It is about shaping a culture of earlier protection.
A culture where children grow up hearing:
You can speak up.
You can ask for help.
You are worth protecting.
You do not have to carry hard things alone.
When we get there before, we change more than one moment. We help shape a child’s sense of safety, worth, and courage from the beginning.
Help us get there before
When you purchase, share, sponsor, or place HOPE Roars into the hands of a child, you become part of something bigger than a book.
You help move hope earlier.
You help place language where there once was silence.
You help create a future where more children know what to do before harm ever has the chance to grow.
That is the vision.
That is the mission.
That is why HOPE Roars matters.