Hospital for Children
Child Life
Children's books that may be helpful:
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith
Viorst, 1972, Aladdin Paperbacks, New York. Non-hospital related, but helps
children deal with their feelings.
- Curious George Goes to the Hospital, Margret & H.A.
Rey, 1966, Houghton-Mifflin, Boston. George swallows a puzzle piece and goes
to the hospital for surgery.
- Going to the Dentist, Fred Rogers, 1989, Family Communications,
Pittsburgh. General introduction to a child's first dentist visit.
- Going to the Doctor, Fred Rogers, 1986, Family Communications,
Pittsburgh. General introduction to a doctor's visit.
- Going to the Hospital, Fred Rogers, 1988, Family Communications,
Pittsburgh. General description of what happens during a stay in the hospital.
- The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn, 1993, Child & Family
Press, Washington, DC. For helping children cope with separation.
- Little Bill: A Trip to the Hospital, Kim Watson, 2001, Simon
Spotlight/Nick Jr., New York. Story of Little Bill's trip to the hospital
after falling and breaking his arm.
Children's videos that may be helpful:
- Sesame Street Visits the Hospital, 1990, Children's Television
Workshop. For young children experiencing, recently experienced or anticipating
a hospital stay.
- Curious George Goes to the Hospital, 1991, Sterling Entertainment
Group, Fort Mill, SC. George swallows a puzzle piece and goes to the hospital
for surgery.
Books for parents that may be helpful:
- Going to the Doctor, Dentist or the Hospital: A Helpful Guide for
Parents to Use With Their Children. Free download at www.starlight-newyork.org/
and click on "Parents Reference Guide".
- Helping Children Cope with Loss and Separation, Claudia
Jewett, 1982, Harvard Common Press, Harvard.
- How to Help Children Through a Parent's Serious Illness,
Kathleen McCue, 1994, St. Martins' Griffin, New York.
- Kids Worry Too, Child Life Department, The Nebraska Medical
Center, Omaha, NE. Addresses sibling responses to hospitalization and includes
interventions to facilitate positive coping.
Contact a Child Life Specialist at 410-328-7440 for other childrens' or parents'
books that may be helpful.
This page was last updated on: May 15, 2007.
For more information about UMHC or to make an appointment,
please call
1-800-492-5538 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).