October 1, 2024
Hospital workers truly do heroic work. Tomorrow's Parade Day in Breezy Valley, a city populated by anthropomorphic animals, but its sick and injured residents still need help. At the hospital, doctors, nurses, and other vital personnel spring into action. As this fast-paced book unfolds, readers follow the activities of numerous hospital heroes as well as an especially important patient. Lemur, the parade's bandleader, has an injury (as he tells doctors, "My drum kerplopped on my tail"). A simple operation sets things right, but he must remain in the hospital overnight. Will the parade be canceled? No! Several hospital heroes "operate" on the drum so that all will proceed as scheduled--but not before Lemur leads a special Thank You Concert for the staff. In painstaking detail, Alley explains virtually everything that curious kids might want to know about hospitals, relying on both text and numerous labels and arrows. Reminiscent of Richard Scarry's work, the jam-packed, busy illustrations often appear in graphic novel-like panels, with characters' dialogue conveyed in colorful speech bubbles. While the diminutive pictorial labels are sometimes overwhelming, the information, delivered in a matter-of-fact, upbeat tone, will allay reader apprehension, and the parade angle provides a cheerful backdrop. The all-animal cast exudes sunny professionalism; sound effects are liberally incorporated into the artwork. A fact-filled, candid, and reassuring introduction to the ins and outs of hospitals. (quiz, additional hospital facts)(Picture book. 5-8)
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