A Trip to the Hospital; Freda Chiu

Going to the hospital can be a big deal. Whether you’re not feeling too well, have a minor injury or need a big operation, it can make you feel all sorts of things. Some children might be excited, others might feel anxious or worried - this is all perfectly normal. To help prepare young children for a hospital visit comes this delightful and informative picture book from Freda Chiu.

Rani, Henry and Momo have had to go to hospital. Rani has broken her arm, Henry is having physiotherapy and Momo is struggling with her asthma. At the hospital there are lots of fantastic people to help them get better again, from nurses to physiotherapists, doctors to anaesthetists, receptionists to cleaners, porters to teachers. The hospital is incredible and the people who work there will soon have everyone feeling good again…

A Trip to the Hospital is a superb introduction to what to expect on a visit to the hospital and celebrates the many people who help look after you while you are there. Readers learn all about the hospital through a gentle and friendly non-fiction narrative as they get to join Rani, Henry and Momo on their very different hospital visits and meet lots of happy hospital workers along the way. Using the three children’s separate adventures to explore the busy hospital, it covers everything from arriving to medical tests to operations to recovery rooms. I especially loved that Chiu included some of the lesser thought of parts of the hospital in the playroom and the school.

The informative text is great but what I love most is the artwork. As soon as I opened it, I was in love. The endpapers that feature little heart-shaped messages, birds and butterflies are gorgeous and every page is filled with warmth, love and friendly faces. It is the kind of hospital that everyone would love to visit - it just exudes happiness and looks like the perfect place to get better again.

I absolutely adore this book! I always remember as a child feeling nervous and apprehensive about going to the hospital, whether it was for myself as a result of yet another bump on the head, a sports injury or visiting a friend or relative. All of the beeping machines, the busyness of it all, the people in their strange uniforms and the distinct smell - these are memories that have never left me and I still get that funny feeling in my tummy whenever I need to visit a hospital. It is the kind of book I would have loved as a child and so many children will benefit from the comforts and reassurances that it provides. Children will be left feeling safe, secure and ready for whenever they need to visit in the knowledge that hospitals and the people that work there really are awesome.

With huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for this delightful book.

Recommended for 3+.