BROKEN BONES AND BROKEN HEARTS

When a soccer player breaks a leg, a good friend is there to be a hospital guide in this dialogue-centered picture-book series entry.

Dani’s leg is badly injured, but the hospital is there to help. Still, even with Coach and pal Piper at Dani’s side, the process is scary, but Piper remains upbeat. Soon Dani is envisioning the X-ray as a visit to airport security (with a cameo from a group that resembles the X-Men); another section about casts blends music and a reference to an Edgar Allan Poe story. Soon, after an odd but brief spy-fiction interlude, Dani’s leg is healed and the cast comes off. Piper’s boundless enthusiasm acts as a great counter to Dani’s worries. Although some elements in Ingels’ story remain unexplained, the style choices and Ballesteros’ vibrant, full-color cartoon illustrations are likely to be a hit. None of the dialogue is featured in word bubbles, but the text is in small blocks, so it’s easy to tell who’s speaking and in what order. The cast has a wide range of skin tones; Dani has light-brown skin, and Piper’s is pale and freckled. A final Q&A with a real-life pediatric orthopedic surgeon offers advice to cast-wearers and parents.

A spirited take on why hospitals don’t need to be frightening.