We all know how frightening surgery can be for children and their parents. Child life specialists do their best to provide proper education and preparation for this new experience while instilling coping skills. Incorporating children’s books can also be a useful tool to help process information and encourage open dialogue about feelings.
I’m excited to share a newly published book that does just this. Surgery on Sunday, helps children understand what this new experience we be like, while also providing a role for them. It is colorful, engaging, and validates emotions. It is definitely a new favorite of mine.
Guest Blogger, Kat Harrison author of Surgery on Sunday
Sunday – a kid with an ocean-sized imagination — is nervous about her upcoming ear surgery. Mom and Dad tell her to put on a brave face, but how can she when she has so many questions? Will it be scary? Will it hurt? (And what does it mean to put on a brave face anyway?) When surgery day rolls around, Sunday’s stomach is in knots like a triple-tied shoelace. But thankfully, she has her BFF, Octavia the Octopus by her side. With the additional help of a few “rules,” her parents, kind doctors, and nurses, she soon learns surgery isn’t so scary after all. It actually makes her feel a whole lot better!
Written with spunk, humor, and a lot of love, Surgery on Sunday teaches kids they can be brave, even when it’s hard.
What inspired you to write the book?
I grew up in and out of the hospital. As I’ve gotten older and my health story has grown more complex, I’ve come to realize that we need to do a better job of talking to kids about the tough stuff in life. Enter: Surgery on Sunday. This is the book I wish would have existed when I was younger. Surgeries and hospital stays are chock-full of unknowns and a lot of the material that is out there, while helpful, is more brochure-like or written by a well-meaning, healthy adult or a medical professional. I wanted to create a book that had both levity and realism, playfulness, and honesty, all from a patient perspective.
Who is it intended for?
Surgery on Sunday is for young patients and the people they love, specifically the 3-8 age group. As it details the surgical process from beginning to end — through a kid’s perspective — it’s ideal for hospital first-timers and seasoned patients alike. It’s structured through a series of five “unofficial” rules of surgery and also includes a resource page of conversation prompts for families or older kids to work through independently. We can do hard things, but sometimes we need to be shown that others have been through them as well!
Where to purchase?
All purchasing information can be found on my website: katwritesforyou.com. Retailers are listed, including signed copies from my online store. Wholesale options are also available through Warren Publishing, Inc. — please contact warrenpublish@gmail.com for more details. Retailers include Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and your local indie bookstore.
Author bio
Kat Harrison is a writer, editor, and chronic illness advocate from Michigan. Her writing has been featured in various print and online outlets such as Real Simple, New York Family, The Mighty, and Yahoo. She lives with a not-so-fun buffet of chronic health conditions and has recovered from fourteen surgeries, but she keeps her sense of humor thanks to an incalculable amount of coffee and brightly colored headbands. Surgery on Sunday is her debut picture book. She hopes you love it as much as her dog does.
We will be giving away a copy of Surgery on Sunday to one lucky winner.
Choose one or more ways to enter:
1. Sign up for email notifications at ChildLifeMommy.com and leave a comment below.
2. Facebook: Follow Child Life Mommy and tag a friend.
3. Facebook: Follow XOKatHarrison and leave a comment about the giveaway.
4. Instagram: Follow @ChildLifeMommy and @WarrenPublish, and tag two friends in the post.
5. Twitter: Follow, Like and RT the post to @ChildLifeMommy
Good Luck, the winner will be chosen on 5/1/20.
