Lynn: 
Children do go to the hospital despite all we do to protect them. And that can be a truly scary experience! Lisa Brown’s new picture book, The Hospital Book (Holiday/Neal Porter, 2023) does an outstanding job of taking the mystery out of the experience. It is at once encouraging while also acknowledging the fears and reactions that are normal for a child in this situation. “I cried nine times when I went to the hospital,” says the little girl about her appendicitis attack and surgery. “The first time was when my stomach hurt.”
The story progresses step by step through the experience from the emergency room, to the testing, admissions, surgical prep, and recovery. Illustrations clearly show an IV needle being inserted, an X-Ray being done, and counting down from 10 during anesthesia being administered. These are all scary processes for any child and they are well explained. The text is straightforward and honest with explanations that are perfectly suited to a child’s understanding. As someone who has had multiple surgeries, I applaud this forthright and helpful book, having experienced these same fears and tears as an adult! This book helps take some of the mystery and scariness out of what is unavoidably a scary experience.
Lisa Brown’s busy appealing illustrations add to the interest as well as adding additional information. This is a must-purchase for libraries and a great choice for sharing with children healthy AND experiencing hospitalization. Half the fear of any experience like this is the unknown and Hospital Book takes a big step by taking away at least some of the tears.
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