Hospital Book, The (Paperback)

by James Howe (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Gr. 2-6. This revision of a book originally published in 1981 features a new, full-color jacket illustration and an attractive, redesigned layout. The text is virtually unchanged (one paragraph about oral medication has been deleted), and most of the original photographs have been retained, with a few new ones added. Many of the photographs have been cropped or enlarged in order to focus more on the young patients or to remove scary-looking equipment (the recovery room is much cheerier without the tubes, wires, and monitors that appear in the photographs in the earlier book). In some cases, the clarity of the pictures has suffered, but most pictures have been improved. It would have been helpful had Howe added a section on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), a new technology that is incredibly noisy and potentially frightening to children. Libraries that own the original book may not need to purchase this edition, but those that don't will find the book well worth the price. Howe's sensitive explanation of hospital procedures will do much to allay the fears of young patients and their parents. Chris Sherman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
A guide to a stay in the hospital discussing what happens there, the people one meets, what will hurt, and how one gets better and goes home. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 94 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 25, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688127347
• ISBN-13: 978-0688127343
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,635,297 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best there is of its kind, November 16, 2000

By A Customer

Although in some ways encyclopedic, this is THE book to have if your child faces surgery or other serious hospital procedures. I agree with the other reviewer that it can be a bit scary, especially for children who may be visiting the hospital for relatively minor procedures such as x-rays or even day surgery. But for the child, at least 4yr and medically savvy, this book is ideal. It covers everything that children might see or experience. It does not offer the same openings for expressing fear and apprehension that A Hospital Story does, but The Hospital Book is clearly designed to be more or a resource book than a story book (and its length does not really allow you to just sit down and read it to your child--although I did with my 4 year old). My daughter was well prepared to understand anesthesia and recovery rooms/holding rooms, etc. and to have some sense of who all the many people were in the hospital.

2.0 out of 5 stars Very indepth and realistic. Scary for young children., January 10, 2000

By	Ann Burney "okmomlady" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

My terminally ill daughter had been to many hospital visits and surgeries when I bought this book for her at four after reading the age range and Editor's Reviews above. She didn't like the real photos of children with tubes and wires in them. It may not be a good choice for children under 7, even if you want to introduce a little reality into the situation. The black and white photos can be bleak and depressing also. It desperately needs new photos!

For older children, it covers everything! Every procedure and machine. But it's kind of like reading a medical dictonary, and seeing all the horrible things that can go wrong, when you just want to see how the heart works.