Children’s Books About Healing Through Play

Has it ever been more obvious that this blog is written by a Certified Child Life Specialist? :)

Play is the work of children. When they don’t feel good or are going through something hard, children build an understanding by playing through what they are experiencing. For that reason, I love books that incorporate play. Many of these books encourage medical play, having kids act through the different parts of carrying for an injury. Others encourage silliness and finding ways to feel better.

If you have a child with a ongoing health condition…

If you have a child who struggles at the doctor…

If you have a child who just went a rough illness or healthcare experience…

Encourage medical play. Encourage conversations about what was hard and what helped. Encourage some light moments of silliness, while also acknowledging how yucky, sad, or scared they felt.

Some of these books can help. Many would be great gifts for a hospitalized child or just a child who loves bandaids. :) So read through and find the ones that work for the children in your life. Have honest conversations with children, but also play! (It’s how many amazing conversations start.)

Bandage Buddies by Kathryn Rammell

This fun story is about a group of bandages that support a school. During the first part of the book, they are dispatched to different classrooms to make people feel good and look cute. Suddenly, someone actually gets hurt on the playground and all of the band-aids freak out. No one wants to help except the tiny rainbow sparkle bandaid, who saves the day. Young kids will love this story and it would pair nicely with some bandaid play and discussion about how to take care of an owie. In addition, if your kids don’t like bandaids, this might be a chance to have them connect in a positive way. Great for small kids through middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/4rHdLoX

All Better! By Bernd Penners

A very simple book with reusable velcro bandaids and a few different animals to take care of. This book was a favorite during my days in the hospital. If your child is coping with a recent injury or illness with a new band-aid obsession. This book will save you some money.  It’s a great way to engage young children in medical play. You can add steps like watching the owie before placing the band-aid and that can lead to practicing coping skills like holding still, taking deep breaths, counting, etc.
https://amzn.to/4hz43QC

The Boo-Boo Book: An Interactive Storybook with 36 Reusable Bandage Stickers

This cute book takes the reader through a few different small injuries and the steps to take care of them (which are the same each time- teaching by repetition). You can use the sticker bandaids to fix the wounds in the book, but I would suggest using coloring pages or paper to practice the skills after you read the book as the sticker version doesn’t come off very easily. Again, this helps kids rehearse what happens when they need a bandaid and encourages medical play. Good for young children.
https://amzn.to/47q3Iei

Getting Sick and Feeling Better: A Shine-a-Light Book by Carron Brown

This book covers the basics of illness. It depicts different children who are sick. When you shine a light on the back side of the page it depicts a hidden aspect. Sometimes, it is medical related like snot and germs. Sometimes, it is tissues in the trash, healthy food, or a grandparent chatting via laptop instead of in-person to keep healthy. This book does a nice job of covering many aspects of taking care of yourself and keeping others from getting sick, plus it's interactive. I think this could be a great classroom read, sick day at home read, or addition to a hospital library. Great for young kids through middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/4ys9sQM

When You’re Feeling Sick by Coy Bowles (comes with free Feel Better Songs)

This book is good for your kids who like to cope by being silly or who like music.  I think the main point of this book is to distract kids with the idea that they will be better soon and with images of silly ways to fight sickness like crazy monster faces, chicken noodle soup on your head, singing silly songs,and feeding your medicine to your pets instead. The book reminds kids that nurses and doctors are helpers and are kind and important, not trying to be mean.  I can see this book being a fun addition to a home library or a hospital, and an effective tool to help kids find images that make them smile even during hard days. The book does talk about getting better, so it would not be the best fit for kids dealing with a chronic illness that will not “get better”. In addition, it does use a rhyming pattern that I find a little distracting, but fits nicely in the song that goes with it. I’d love to hear kids come up with their own feel better song after reading this book/listening to this song. (Also, even if you don’t buy this book, you can still access the song at www.coybowles.com! - from Zac Brown Band) For some reason, the Amazon price looks messed up, but you can still use the link to read about it and hopefully they will fix that soon. https://amzn.to/4rBLobH Otherwise, you can get it on the Coy Bowles website where you can find the song.

My Mommy Medicine by Edwidge Danticat

This book talks about all the ways a little girl’s mom makes her feel better when she is sick. The book explores lots of ways adults can help feel good such as snuggles, songs, games, and more (even giving actual medicine which helps, but not as much as “mommy medicine”). This book could be a lovely way to talk to kids about finding ways to cope with hard days when they don’t feel good beyond traditional medicine. Important for all kids but could be an important book for kids dealing with serious or chronic illness. After the child hears about all the ways the girl’s mommy helps her feel better, they might be more prepared to suggest what they might need or want from their family. Good for young children through middle elementary kids.
https://amzn.to/46NfwHt

As always, I make a small commission if you purchase books through the links in my blog. This allows me to spend more time finding great books for you. I also fully support finding the books I suggest at your local library or book store when possible!