Going to the Doctor

Children's Literature

A trip to the doctor can be scary if you do not know what to expect, but once you have that knowledge, it is not so bad and can even be kind of fun! In this book the reader learns what a doctor is (a person who knows how bodies work, how to keep them healthy and how to check them from the outside and inside), what a doctor's office looks like and what happens during and after a checkup. Each chapter begin with a question and then answers it in simple yet thorough terms. Unfamiliar terms (such as otoscope and pediatrician) are printed in bold type and there is a picture glossary at the end. Unthreatening, straightforward pictures are found throughout the book. Questions at the conclusion reiterate what was learned. Similarly, a short pictorial quiz reinforces the identification of doctor related items discussed earlier in the book in a humorous manner (showing a trumpet, an otoscope, a scale, a skateboard, a stethoscope and a basketball). A helpful note to parents gives suggestions about reading the book with a child and discussing specific parts of the book together. Part of the "First Time" series that also includes the titles Going to the Library, and Going to a Restaurant, and Going to a Concert. A nice preschool or library addition. Recommended. 2004, Heinemann Library/Reed Elsevier Inc, Ages 3 to 7.
—Cindy L. Carolan