Children's Books About Receiving an Organ Transplant
* This image uses the old name of the ‘Is There a Book for That?’ blog/book list.
Someone asked me back in July if I could compile a list of books about transplants, and I was more than happy to help. Sorry it took me a big, sometimes I have to contact authors in order to find versions that I can review. Anyway, today is the day. I am sharing books about organ transplants today. There are some nice options, but also plenty of room for more resources about this challenging situation.
Please read below to find the write resource for your kids, and also, consider checking out the blog from April 23 about things from the organ donation view point. Books about both sides of the experience can be important tools in the hospital. So without further ado...
Someone I Know Needs a Transplant by Analise Lotz
I would recommend this book to most children needing a transplant and most kids who know someone who is getting a transplant. This book does a nice job of explaining transplants to kids. It is kept open and general to apply to many transplant situations. The illustrations are detailed enough to nicely highlight what the text is saying. The book is honest and has enough detail to answer many common questions that kids have. The book acknowledges that many kids might feel worried and that it is okay to talk about it. I would recommend this book to most children being affected by an organ transplant. Ages preschool through upper elementary.
https://amzn.to/3Pq3f6c
What is a Kidney Transplant? By Caitlyn McNamara and Adrienne O’Connor
This book is a straightforward and simple description of kidney transplants including key aspects including surgery, where transplants come from and what a kidney does. It takes a complex concept and makes it approachable for kids. I would say that this book is best for preschool through middle elementary. Older kids or especially curious kids will have more questions than this book will cover. The book does include a couple of hands-on activities that would be good for distraction in the hospital and building an understanding. The illustrations in this book are very simple - most of them increase understanding, but there are a few that may be too simple and lead to some confusion.
https://amzn.to/3PrEOoW
The Ant Who Needed a Transplant by Dr. Bill Wall
This book tells the story of an ant family. The father ant starts feeling extra tired and learns that he needs a heart transplant. While the family waits for a heart, they worry. The book does mention that they are worried that he will die. Then one day they get a call and go to the hospital. The father has a successful heart transplant. The family learns that the heart comes from another father ant who died. The family creates a special card for the family who lost their father. The father is healthy once again and is again able to do all the physical things he wants. This book does a nice job of simplifying the story with playful ants, but I would keep in mind that not all heart recipients are able to return to all activities. There might be other things to discuss as well including that suddenly feeling more tired doesn’t necessarily mean that a parent will need a heart transplant, feelings both families might have, and additional health care and medicine that recipients will likely need. The book would be good for young children trying to grasp the idea of a transplant.
https://amzn.to/473dN1d
A Transplant for Ivy by Emilie Burgess
This book is a book that tells the story of a girl Ivy who needs a transplant. The book acknowledges many feelings that kids can have before and after a transplant. Although it is a story of one girl, the book is kept very general. It does not disclose what organ she needs, but it does talk about several other children she meets at the hospital that need different kinds of organs. The book says that she gets an organ from someone who does not “need it” anymore, but it does not mention that the other person died. It builds on Ivy’s positive experiences and that she decides she can do hard things because someone gave her the gift of a new organ. This book would be good for young children and for families/kids who don’t want a book with a lot of the details- although the children may ask the questions, so caretakers and teachers should be prepared to answer them. It also might be important to talk to kids about how you can be happy and scared at the same time, as the staff in the story tell her not to be scared, as it is a happy time. This book for young children needing a transplant (or their siblings). It could be a great place to start many future conversations and to dream of a positive future.
https://amzn.to/4sTm2Fz
Transplant Breakthroughs by Heather Schwartz
This book talks about several advancements in transplants throughout history. It gives a lot of details about people, medicines, and failures. Be aware that if this could trigger your child or loved one this might not be the right book for them. I am including it because I think it could be super helpful for middle schoolers who truly want to understand. It talks about a large variety of transplants (heart, kidney, cornea, etc and all kinds of donors- animals, growing organs, cadaver, etc) and the science they have used to make them successful. I would guess that most adults would learn a lot too.
https://amzn.to/4bMXSXs
The First Heart Transplant: A Graphic History by BrandonTerrell
This book is also a book that would be better for middle and high school. The book is a graphic novel that teaches the reader about the first heart transplant. Again, this book covers a lot of details and talks about successes and failures. For teens that want to learn it all, I think it could be interesting, but it would be too much for most school aged kids. https://amzn.to/4sM45Zq
