MARIA'S MARVELOUS BONES
by Carrie Kollias illustrated by Gill Guile
After an accident, a girl finds support, comfort, and care from kind medical staff in Kollias’ debut picture book.
Maria and her brother are jumping on the couch when she falls and breaks her arm. At the hospital, she encounters caring doctors and nurses who provide her with explanations to help her feel safe. For example, a nurse uses a blood pressure cuff to see “how well Maria’s HEART was working to pump blood around her body.” Maria also receives an IV and x-rays, and she receives medicine that puts her to sleep so that a doctor can make her arm straight. The author, an orthopedic surgeon, depicts medical processes using child-friendly language (“an x-ray is a picture of bones…taken with a special camera that can see through skin”). Overall, the story takes readers on a realistic journey, which concludes when Maria gets her cast removed. It also introduces educational elements, including anatomical terms: “Dr. Anna said Maria’s body was making ‘CALLUS’…a big ball of bone glue. The glue had calcium in it, to make…broken bones heal.” Guile’s (Bear Picks a Pumpkin, 2018, etc.) top-notch illustrations are charming and colorful, with diverse characters. They emphasize friendly faces, which will be particularly encouraging to young patients in similar circumstances.
A wonderful resource to help prepare children for medical intervention after an injury.