Customer Reviews

Good-bye Tonsils! (Picture Puffin Books)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I searched for kids books on tonsillectomies, I was surprised to have such a small selection. Luckily, this book more than met my need! My 4 1/2 year old daughter received the book last night, and has already asked for two readings and has "read it" to herself repeatedly. It provided the perfect experience for talking about her upcoming operation. She uses the pictures to identify questions she has and things she is worried about. I don't know if she will need an IV, but after looking at the one in the picture, I think she will be more than prepared to accept it. My daughter immediately identified with Juliana and is interested in the things Juliana did to get over her fears (talk to people who had their tonsils out, read books, play with doctor's masks). I think that I may now be required to provide a cake that says Goodbye Tonsils, just like on the cover, but that is a small enough price to pay for my daughter's peace of mind! The professional reviews criticize the quality of the pictures -- and I pooh-pooh this. The last thing this book needs is "artistic flair." The pictures are clear and detailed -- down to the medicine cup of cherry liquid (a sedative), the gas mask, and the IV. They are completely appropriate for the purpose of this book. If your small child is facing a tonsillectomy, I highly recommend that you purchase this book. And if you are an ENT, (or know one), I recommend this for your waiting room.

I bought this book for my 3.5 year old. It covered all the details, including getting a bracelet, changing pj's, watching TV, doctors with masks, a very sore throat, how important it is to drink a lot, etc. She was thoroughly relaxed. We also had a Goodbye Tonsils party at her school, complete with a cake, like in the book. My daughter loved it, and it helped her say goodbye to her friends for a week. I was pretty impressed.

... [It] is a perfect book for a child facing a tosillectomy. My 5 year old nephew, a child with a tendency to internalize all his emotions, was actually able to talk about his upcoming operation without being reduced to tears after his mom read him this book. It is very straight forward, honest, and written from a child's perspective. I highly recommend this book to parents and ENT's everywhere!

I got this book for my 6 year old who was having his tonsils out. We read it a few times (only just got it two days before the surgery) and talked about what the book said. Now, two days post op, we are still referring to the book when we deal with the pain. Anytime he looks like he doesn't want his meds, I remind him that the girl in the book didn't want them either but she knew they would make her feel better. He fully knew what to expect before surgery, during surgery and after surgery. The book explains it all, but naturally, my child focussed on the good things - the ice cream, the presents, etc. I even learned that chewing gum was healing to the throat. My child asked for gum for breakfast the morning after surgery - and I knew that it was okay.

We bought this book to prepare our four year old for a tonsillectomy. This book was the most up to date and accurate book we have read. It helped very much to ease her uncertainty. She still reads it for a storybook a year later.
I would highly recommend it!

I would highly recommend this book if your child is preparing for a tonsillectomy. It really helped our 3.5 year old prepare for hers. It described every part of surgery very acurately so she knew just what to expect. It starts with being diagnosed then explains what tonsils are and the purpose they serve. Most important it talks about the "magic mask" and anesthesia which we were really concerned about. When the time came, she was calm and collected and not as scared about having a mask put over her face and going to sleep because we read about it over and over again in this book. The book also addresses post op - waking up with an IV, having a sore throat, being groggy from anesthesia. The book was actually written by a little girl with her father after she had the operation so it's complicated material written from a kids point of view. Really easy for a child to relate to. Just don't read it too soon before surgery - then they have too much time to think about things you read about with them!

This book was fabulous. My 4 yr old granddaughter read it many times before she had her tonsils out, and was thoroughly prepared. She wasn't afraid at all, and the nurse said she was the calmest kid she ever saw! It was a terrific resource on a subject that was hard to find kids' books on.

I searched high and low for books dealing with tonsilectomies and ear tubes and was shocked to find out that the selection was so limited. This book was quite the find however and my daughter really enjoyed it. I think she identified with the young author and the tone of the book. It really did a great job preparing her for her surgery and she even looked forward to it. I would highly recommend this book for any child facing a tonsilectomy.

We purchased this book about a week before our 4 year old daughter got her tonsils out. Though this book had a lot of accurate information about what would happen before the surgery, it was very misleading to both us as her parents and her as a child. Our three biggest complaints were 1) the book was way to long to keep 4 year old's attention 2) the story line had unnessary plot thrown in (for example, the main character whose tonsils are coming out gets a "good bye tonsils" cake to help celebrate her little sisters first birthday) and finally our 3rd and biggest complaint was the VERY unrealistic description of the recovery period. In the book, the little girl has the surgery on a friday and returns to school on tuesday, this is NOT at all the amount of time your child can expect to remain home. The average child can expect to be out of school and most other activities for about a week. The book also downplays the real pain your child will experience as well as the possible nausea he/she may have due to the pain medication. So, in closing, it is not the worst reference you could purchase, however, I am sure there are better selections out there. Best of luck!

Considering that there are very few children's books out there that discuss tonsillectomies, I was very pleased when I came across this book. It prepared my daughter for everything that she would experience the day of the surgery. It's accurate, up-to-date and a relatively quick read. My four year old loved this book and still wants me to read it to her from time to time even though her surgery was several months ago. My only critique is that it was a little long in some spots (for example, the section about the girl who had 4 surgeries). But I would paraphrase those sections and my daughter never missed a beat.