LOLA GOES TO THE DOCTOR

In the second of this photo-illustrated series, Lola the winsome Yorkie goes to the vet.

Perhaps running a close second to monsters is children’s fear of going to the doctor and getting shots. It’s not Lola’s favorite thing to do either. In fact, she’s “a little nervous” today, because it’s her day to go to the “doctor.” She reminds herself it’s not all bad—after all, the waiting room is full of “nice toys,” and there are interesting animals to see there (on this visit, it’s a pig and a chicken). Lola tries to “wait patiently, just like the big dog,” a Bernese mountain dog that appears to be smiling for the camera, without a care in the world. Then Lola is called, and the doctor performs many of the routine examinations that people doctors do: He weighs her, looks in her ears, listens with his stethoscope. Finally it’s shot time, and Lola tells herself that she’s a “big dog” too. The photographs provide little more than simple narration for the story, but they do so effectively. Children will easily relate to the spunky little pooch, identifying with her worries, cheering her bravery and feeling better about their next doctor visits. The charming, simple line drawings of Lola playing doctor on the endpapers provide another dimension.

If the tiny, 5-pound, button-nosed Lola can survive a doctor’s visit, anyone can.