Tubes in My Ears: My Trip to the Hospital - Softcover

Ages 4^-6. This re-creation of a trip to the hospital is a bit truncated, but it does tell kids what to expect if they have to undergo the common childhood surgery of having tubes placed in their ears. Young Luke has experienced many ear infections, so after a visit to his pediatrician, his parents take him to the hospital. On an empty stomach, he has preliminary tests, changes into hospital garb, and talks with the anesthesiologist, who asks whether he would like to have his anesthesia administered with a mask or needle. (Unsurprisingly, Luke picks the mask.) After the operation, Luke does not feel well and throws up, but in true medical cost^-cutting fashion, he is sent home the same day when he is finally able to keep down some food. The book ends abruptly here. It would be nice to know a little more about Luke's recovery. Still, the cartoon-style art has appeal for the audience, and the text is pithy without being either alarming or disingenuous. Key words are both defined and illustrated within the body of the text Ilene Cooper

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Luke, an African American child who had to have ear tubes inserted, describes his hospital experiences. His language is precise, maintaining a childlike perspective, but imparting the essential information. Additional facts, such as explanations of instruments, appear in boxes. This is an urban hospital staffed by a multicultural group, with doctors and nurses of both genders. The colorful cartoon illustrations faithfully follow the text and realistically depict the details of the patients' rooms. Luke's procedure is not an unusual one, and reflects the current fashion of same-day surgery. A good choice to accompany Sara Bonnett Stein's classic A Hospital Story (Walker, 1974) and the more general description in Fred Rogers's Going to the Hospital (Putnam, 1988).?Martha Gordon, formerly at South Salem Library, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.