A Trip to the Hospital by Freda Chiu

Rani has a broken arm - she needs to go to hospital and later she will need some surgery. Momo doesn't feel well because her asthma is making it hard to breathe - she travels to the hospital by ambulance. Henry has been visiting the hospital for many years. Today he has an appointment with a physiotherapist because he needs strong muscles to help with his prosthetic leg. All three children are in safe hands. The staff work hard, they smile (we can see through their masks) and inside the hospital walls are bright colours. Hopefully it is not too scary.

Publisher blurb: Going to hospital might seem scary or worrying - you might be hurt, you might feel sick or maybe you just have to visit a friend. But don't be worried! Hospitals are amazing places filled with clever people all doing incredible things, including making you feel better. Follow Momo, Rani and Henry on three very different adventures inside a busy children's hospital. A picture book that shows children all the interesting things that happen inside a hospital, helping them feel safe and secure, and ready for their first visit.

I volunteer at a children's hospital in their library. This book is simply perfect and should be a gift to all children who have to visit hospital and it should be added to all Primary and public library collections. Oh and in the interest of full disclosure I do need to mention one of the children in this book is named Momo!

There are many things to love about Chiu’s bright and dynamic debut picture book. The clear, simple language; the inclusiveness of the illustrations (workers, visitors, patients and families); the breadth of information, covering emergency visits, scheduled operations, recovery and rehabilitation; and the person-centred focus and capabilities of hospital staff. Reading Time

Freda Chiu spent time at Liverpool hospital in the paediatric unit and her experiences really shine through in this book. You might like to linger over the end papers (front and back are different) have been designed to match messages in get well soon and thank you cards. 

A Trip to the Hospital was entered (and short listed) for our Australian Children's Book of the Year Award for a New Illustrator. I was not able to talk about this book on my blog until after Book Week which happened last month. Take a look at my post about another book from this category For Love.

The judges said: The cover of this debut picture book which depicts the main characters beaming out will do much to allay readers’ fears of going to hospital. Chiu has cleverly captured the busyness and complexity of a hospital by using a mix of page layouts. Her bold style is perfectly matched to her use of mixed media such as pencils, gouache, crayons, pastels and collage. This original style allows the reader to explore the content and the artistic media on each page in detail or to read each image as a whole. Chiu quietly introduces inclusive adult and child characters in a natural way. She does not shy away from the reality of illness and injury, but her ability to convey the individual personalities of staff members will reassure readers.

Teachers Notes are available on the publisher web site - Allen and Unwin. You can see inside this book here on Freda Chiu's page. 

The exuberant child-like illustrations, use of bright colours, inclusive adult and child characters, and the variety of page designs are all excellent features of this book. The graph paper background on the cover and on the page where we meet all the medical specialists, is also very effective. The cover is terrific – this could be a frightening topic but these three smiling children will assure young readers (and their parents) that they are in safe hands with this exploration of hospitals and medical procedures. 

Rachel's War by Mark Wilson

The story of an Australian WWI nurse

"This story was inspired by the true story of Rachel Pratt, an Australian army nurse serving in France during World War I who was awarded the Military medal 'for service above and beyond the call of duty during an air raid on 4 July, 1917."

As with all Mark Wilson books it is clear the text and illustrations in this book have been meticulously researched. You can feel his passion about the importance of sharing this story. Rachel’s story is told gently but realistically, and evokes a sense of hope amidst the horrors of war. There is just enough information to teach and entertain without being overly distressing. 

"Rachel remembered her mother's words about being strong and working hard. She ... dreamed of one day being able to help people."

"Rachel and Elise not only treated soldiers coming in from the desert with battle wounds, but also typhoid fever and influenza. Some even had gangrene from frostbite, which often ended in amputation."

"Bombs exploded, one after the other. Then with a mighty crash, one exploded right behind Rachel."

In this book I appreciated the moral compass which Mark communicates when we read about Rachel’s reaction to the young Turkish soldiers.  The splashes of poppies on the end papers are both pretty but also perhaps echo the splashes of blood seen by the nurses on the battlefield. The page near the end where it seems that Rachel may have been killed was so powerful.  I was enormously relieved to read on and discover she survived – this shows that as a reader I was deeply invested into this emotional text.  

It is good to have the addition of the two fact pages at the end of the book but in addition to this, it would have been good to have a list of picture credits and a list of references for further reading which I think Mark has included with some of his other books. The cover is striking and shows the compassion of the nurse while behind her we see the exotic places she has travelled to (the pyramids) and the grim reality of marching soldiers. Every part of the design used in this book has been created with enormous care. 

Exquisite illustrations by the author, Mark Wilson, allow our hearts to be moved by the descriptive images – some in colour, others in black fine line pen. Kids' Book Review

Rachel’s War is one of the books that contributes to this history and the hidden stories, allowing them to come to life. The Book Muse

Wilson shows in both words and pictures, the hardships which confronted the nurses: shortages of basic equipment, food and sanitation as well as staff. Rachel and Elsie manage some incidental sightseeing in Egypt before being transferred to France but continue treating men with battle wounds and more complex health issues. Each of the girls suffers physical and mental traumas, including Rachel herself being wounded after a German bombing raid. Reading Time

Here are a small selection of picture books by Mark Wilson - all highly recommended:

His newest book will be released later this year:

Rachel's War is a 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Notables : Eve Pownall Award

Take a look at my previous post where I talk about another book that celebrates to role of nurses during war - The Flying Angel by Vicki Bennett illustrated by Tull Suwannakit.  

The Flying Angel by Vicki Bennett illustrated by Tull Suwannakit

Portrait depicting Sister Marie Craig. ART24278 - Australian War Museum

Blurb from the author website: After the return of her wounded father from WW1, a little girl had a dream to become a nurse. Marie Craig trained at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney and graduated in 1942. She joined the RAAF nursing service in 1943 and in early 1944, 15 nurses from the Royal Australian Air Force nursing service were handpicked for the 2nd unit of flying sisters who made up the No 2 MAETU. Nicknamed 'the flying angels', the unit was based in Papua New Guinea.

Here is a text sample to give you a flavour of this writing:

"The aeroplane is packed with injured soldiers. When we take off there isn't any room for me to sit, so I reach up and steady myself with a hand stirrup that swings from the ceiling. ... I give an oxygen bottle to each of the soldiers so they can breathe properly as we fly higher."

This book focuses on a small fragment of a larger and more complex story from a female perspective. The use of a first-person narrator is an excellent device which gives a truth and immediacy to the story and assists young readers to connect with events well beyond their experience. The themes of heroism, kindness, friendship, sacrifice and bravery are important ones and they are well served by this story. 

One tiny quibble - I do wish there were extra notes included at the back of the book as we have come to expect from other picture book war stories such as those by Mark Wilson. Only including the name of the nurse in the blurb on the back cover seems somehow insufficient. 

The sepia tones and tiny touches of colour work really well to give us a sense that this book is set during a different time in history. Shades of light and dark and subtle glimpses of colour create meaning and shifts in mood. The spread where Sister Marie is haloed in light inside the plane is beautiful, powerful and reaffirms the notion of the flying ‘angel’. I also liked the way the illustrations fill whole pages right to the edges. The collection of objects and photographs on the end papers add interest and demonstrate that the events in this book are based on real people.

Vicki Bennett captures the sense of family, friendship, and compassion during times of conflict, and highlights the remarkable efforts of nurses working in dire conditions to help soldiers during war. The text is eloquent and places readers firmly in the shoes of the nurses who left an indelible mark on surviving soldiers.  Reading Time

You can see inside this book on Tull Suwannakit's web page. I have a personal connection with this book - The Flying Angel. From 2012-2017 I visited an elderly man who had been a soldier in WWII and he served in Papua New Guinea. His name was Bert and I am dedicating this post to his memory. Here is a web page for Vicky Bennett.

Nurses in World War II - 5,000 Australian nurses served in a variety of locations, including the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Britain, Asia, the Pacific, and Australia. Seventy-eight died, some through accident or illness, but most as a result of enemy action or while prisoners of war.

Here is an extract from an exhibition at the Australian War memorial: Air evacuation became a quick and effective way to transport seriously wounded troops from the front line in New Guinea and the surrounding islands. In early 1944, 15 nurses recruited from the RAAFNS to the newly formed No. 1 Medical Air Evacuation Transport Unit (1 MAETU) began training in in-flight medicine and care, emergency survival procedures, and tropical hygiene.  Nicknamed “The Flying Angels”, flight teams comprising a sister and an orderly flew in Douglas C47s, carrying up to 18 stretcher cases at a time, from forward areas back to base hospitals in Australia. Within the first year of operation, some 8,000 patients had been evacuated.

This book might be useful for further reading:

Here is a link to teaching resources about the role of Nurses in War developed by the Australian War Memorial.

Companion reads (note these focus on World War One:

And to read more about the war in Papua New Guinea try to find this excellent book:

The Flying Angel is a CBCA 2022 Picture Book Notable title.