Children's Books for Emergency Room Visits

* This image uses the old name for the ‘Is There a Book for That?’ blog/book list.

For many kids visiting the Emergency Room might be new and seem scary. Adults can support them by letting them know what is going to happen, processing what they already experienced, and reassuring them that they are in a safe space with good people. While some ERs have child life specialists to assist with this, it can be a busy place and the CCLS might not always be available. Some ERs do not have this kind of psychosocial support, and so I wanted to share some books that can help caregivers with all of this. If you work in the ER consider having these tools available to families. If you are a caregiver, consider checking out one of these books after an ER experience to help a child cope and understand all that happened.

Because ER experiences can be so diverse and new/scary, there is room for a lot of different book topics and styles. So keep following for the entire month of July, as I share books about specifics including broken bones and traumatic accidents.

A Trip to the Hospital by Freda Chiu
This is a great book to add to the Hospital Book List and could be helpful for any sort of hospital visit. I think it would be super helpful in the ER waiting room to prepare a child for a variety of experiences and people. The book shows a variety of kids going to the hospital for different reasons.  It shows them getting good care from helpful people. Caregivers may need to clarify what experiences apply to their situation and what experiences might be another child's.  Great for young ages through middle elementary.
https://amzn.to/4ly4Anw

Awesome Ambulances by Tony Mitton
This book talks about ambulances in a fun playful rhyme.  It talks about what they do and what is inside of them. This book could be super helpful after a child goes on an ambulance ride.  No doubt, the experience could be new, confusing, and scary.  This book can help reframe and give them a chance to ask questions or share.  Great for younger kids (2-8).
https://amzn.to/4lGJDqM

Immune Heroes: Protectors of the Wound by Namita Gandhi, PHD
This book gives a playful approach to learning about how our immune system works when we have a cut or abrasion.  A child in the story hurts his knee and the book shows the different cells working together to fight any infection. The words mimic a military or superhero battle, but use correct scientific terms. The book could be great for a curious child after an injury activating with their imagination and accurately answering their questions. Good for school age children.
https://amzn.to/4lEs0aW

Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney
This book does a great job of describing body parts in simple ways that young kids can understand.  The illustrations help the child’s understanding by showing a medical drawing and a drawing of a young child figuring out the concept. There are two versions of this book with the same information, one just has more modern looking drawings. I would highly recommend for young children to learn more about their own bodies.
https://amzn.to/4uBcxwd

Jessica’s X-Ray by Pat Zonta
This book talks about one child’s experience getting an x-ray for a broken bone. After that, she explores the radiology department and learns a little about the different types of cameras. Simple words and descriptions. Ages 3 and up. https://amzn.to/4bUPV1x