Growing a Reader: Kids' Books, Tips and More

A visit to the hospital is never fun, but it can be much less stressful if your child is prepared and knows what to expect. Talking and reading with your child about the jobs of doctors and nurses and what happens at a hospital or doctor’s office can make the experience less scary. It can also help you as a paren't if you are not familiar with the way a hospital is set-up, and the different stages of hospital care. Stories of personal experience are also great, just remember to focus on the positives or you might increase their worry.

On a recent trip to the emergency room for my daughter’s broken arm we reminded her of stories we had read about the hospital, and told her about some our own experiences. Initially she was so terrified about getting an x-ray that she tried to convince us that her arm was fine, and that she was just sad. Being able to explain to her exactly what was going to happen and talking about familiar characters and stories helped. By the time we got to the hospital she was calm and resigned. We also reviewed the SickKids guide on what to expect in the emergency room which talks about the different stages of care and other useful information. 

The staff at SickKids were amazing and they took the time to explain everything in a way that my daughter understood. She got to look at her x-ray and ask the doctor some questions. Thankfully they also have free wifi in the department and we were able to use my phone to access movies from Hoopla, and eBooks using Overdrive, which made the long wait easier. We even read a few eBooks about visits to the hospital while we were there. Afterwards my daughter had a lot of questions about bones and how they work and we found some books about broken bones, and the skeletal system.

Check out some of the books below about visiting the doctor or hospital, or search for more here. Healthy reading 🙂  

Nonfiction Books About Doctors and Hospitals

A Day in the Life of a Doctor by Heather Adamson: Ages 5-8

A Day with Doctors by Jodie Shepherd: Ages 5-8

A Doctor's Job by Patricia Dawson: Ages 5-6

Doctor written by Lucy M. George illustrated by Ando Twin: Ages 3-5

I Broke my Arm by Lisa M. Herrington: Ages 5-8

Out and About at the Hospital written by Nancy Garhan illustrated by Zachary Trover: Ages 4-9

Fiction About Doctors and Hospitals

Froggy Goes to the Doctor by Jonathan London illustrated by Frank Remiewicz: Ages 3-5

Kevin Goes to the Hospital written and illustrated by Liesbet Slegers: Ages 2-4

Maisy Goes to the Hospital written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins: Ages 2-5

Urgency Emergency! Baaad Sheep written and illustrated by Dosh Archer: Ages 4-8

Vicky Goes to the Doctor by Ifeoma Onyefulu: Ages 4-7

Visit to the Hospital Written by Eve Marleau illustrated by Michael Garton: Ages 4-7