Pediatric Clinic Books
Visits to a pediatric clinic are a part of every child’s life, but they are spread out. They don’t happen every day or every week. So often kids forget what they can expect, and we all know that the unexpected can be scary. On top of that, sometimes doctor’s visits can include uncomfortable things like getting a throat swab or a shot. So they might not remember why they needed that hard thing, they just remember that they don’t like the doctor’s office. The right children’s book can help kids understand what will happen and why it is important.
In addition, it is important to teach kids about their bodies and keeping their bodies healthy. We each have a body - shouldn’t we understand how they work?! This understanding will be important as your children navigate illness, puberty, self-esteem, injuries, etc.
So some of these books prepare children for what they can expect at a check up and some teach kids about their amazing bodies and the ways medical care can help them. Either way they are both a great fit for a pediatric clinic and for your home!
(As always, all of these books have been previewed by me, a Child Life Specialist, author, and mother. There are a lot of "going to the doctor" books out there and many didn't meet the standard, but check out the one's that do!"
Getting Ready for My Doctor’s Visit by Dr. Fei Zheng Ward
This book is a medically up-to-date resource to prepare your young child for what will happen at the doctor’s visit. The book uses easy to understand language and offers some simple coping strategies. It took me a while to find one that wasn’t truthful about how a shot feels, wasn’t medically out of date, or didn’t skip a lot of the things that happen. This book checked off all of those boxes and makes an effort to show diverse families.
It’s Not Eww… It’s You! By Sharon Leya
Good for young children. Reframes things like urine, blood, and poop as being part of your body instead of being gross.
What are Germs? By: Katie Daynes
Does a thorough job of explaining germs in words that kids can understand. The flaps make the book interactive. Good for young kids, but still appropriate for young school age. If you are doing this for a classroom, consider partnering this book with the ‘glitter germ’ activity: https://thesimpleparent.com/glitter-germs-activity-for-kids/
My Visit to the Doctor from Barbie:My First Moments
You might be surprised to see this on the list… but while the book lacks diversity, it does promote playing through things and helping kids understand what to expect. I can see that for kids that are into Barbie or that might identify with the little girl who is nervous about going to the doctor’s office, this book may lead a family to play through what to expect with their kiddo - something that is huge in promoting positive medical experiences.
Look Inside Your Body By: Louie Stowell
Full of “lift the flaps” that explains the many parts of your body. The book focuses on a lot of facts that kids will think are interesting. I would say ages 4+. You probably will not read all of the words in one setting.
Very First Questions and Answers What's Inside Me? by Katie Daynes
Does a nice job of simply explaining many parts of the body with easy to understand words. Also keeps attention with flaps and relatable information. Good for young kids - early school age.
Germs Up Close by Sara Levine
Educational book that shows kids what different germs look like under a microscope. The book also talks about each germ, where it lives, and what problems it can cause. Finally, the book discusses how keep germs from spreading. Great for curious school age kids. Could be fun to have in a doctor’s office to increase understanding after a diagnosis.
A Vaccine is Like A Memory by Rajani Larocca, MD
This book does a beautiful job of explaining vaccines: how they work, how they were invented, and why they are important. Because of all of the explanations, the book is on the longer side and would be better for upper school age kids. I actually love the 6 pages of the book for younger children, as well. It does a nice concise job of explaining before it goes into all of the detail.
100 Things to Know About the Human Body by By: Alex Frith, Minna Lacey, Matthew Oldham, Jonathan Melmoth
Shares lots of interesting information about the human body in words older kids (ages 8+) can understand. This book dives a little deeper than a lot of kids books about the body. Your child will likely enjoy knowing things most grown-ups don’t know. Many adults would enjoy this book as well.
