The Doll Hospital written by Kallie George and illustrated by Sara Gillingham is a warm and reassuring story about a visit to a special hospital just for dolls. Dr. Pegs opens the doors of the hospital and predicts a slow and easy day. This proves not to be the case, however, when little patients begin to arrive one right after the other.
First, it’s a porcelain doll by the name of Portia with a broken arm, followed by Scoop, a stuffed doll with a stomach ache, then comes Baby, a talking doll with a broken pull string and finally Teddy, a stuffy, who has lost one of his eyes!
Alarmed at the number of emergencies, Dr. Pegs calls in a special group of Nesting Doll Nurses to lend a helping hand. Working together they gently glue Portia’s arm back together, untangle the talking Baby doll’s voice string, give Scoop new stuffing to alleviate his stomach ache and repair Teddy’s eye with just the right button!
The illustrations are as charming as the story. Young readers will want to hug each of the four small patients who look all cuddly and in need of help. The adorable pictures are fashioned in gum drop colors of lemon yellow, strawberry pink, minty green and lip-smacking orange.
The Doll Hospital written by Kallie George and illustrated by Sara Gillingham is a gentle story about going to the hospital for some tender loving care and repair. It is perfect for children 3-7 years of age. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018).
Questions for The Doll Hospital
Did you ever have a doll that somehow got a Boo Boo? What was the doll’s name? How did it happen? Who helped you make it all better? Draw a before and an after picture of your doll’s face. Take time and make sure your doll’s facial expression reflects how it might have felt both before help was given and after help was received. (You may include stuffed animals).
Have you ever had to go to the hospital for an emergency? If so, what was the problem? Who took you? Did you see any other children there? Did you take a doll or stuffed animal along with you to keep you company?
What is your favorite picture in this book? Why? Give this picture a caption related to what is happening or related to how the picture makes you feel. The caption can be a phrase, a sentence or as short as one word.
