This book is educational for the children. I really like it. ( )

When the unnamed narrator's little brother gets hurt, the family goes to the emergency room where the narrator learns about all different kinds of doctors working in the hospital.

This book was super informative while being couched in a story so that it didn't feel didactic. The narrator and her brother appear to have a black mother and a white father, which is nice to see. (I was just yesterday discussing with a co-worker how many, many of our young patrons are interracial, but so few children's books depict such families.) Visiting the different employees at the hospital not only showcased the many types of medical jobs available, but also gave the author and the illustrator another chance to feature characters of various different ethnic backgrounds.

The book ends with a quick one-page description of the technical terms for each type of doctor and a definition of these terms. ( )

There are two reasons why I was interested in "I Want to be a Doctor." First, the writing provided short sentences in each page. Since it is a level one reading book, the sentences were easy and enjoyable so that beginning readers can engage to learning about the story. For instance, in the first page, the short sentences were simply introducing the main character and her family who were at the hospital. My other interest is the main character, who is understandable and compassionate. The girl, who is the main character, sparked an interest in helping people when she and her family were given a tour of the hospital and learned about many kinds of doctors. In my opinion, the character developed a genuine desire in helping people. At the end of the book, there is a list of every different kind of doctors, such as bone doctors, brain doctors, pathologists, and other doctors in the professional career. The readers can begin learning about why doctors are important to the community. As the central message, it can also inspire an interest in a professional career. ( )

This new series, My Community, from the I Can Read! franchise focuses on community helpers. The narrator, a girl with light brown skin and curly dark hair, is at the hospital with her parents and her little brother. Jack jumped off his bunk bed and hurt his foot, maybe even broke it! As they move through the hospital, Jack’s sister meets many different kinds of doctors. Dr. Tate, an Asian woman, is the first doctor they see. She sends them on to a doctor who looks at x-rays, a doctor who fixes broken bones, and Jack’s sister learns that there are many other kinds of doctors too. While they are waiting for Jack, she gets to meet many of them, escorted by Dr. Tate. A list at the end names the different kinds of doctors.

The cheerful art shows a wide diversity of races and genders, and even some diversity in body types, mostly in background figures. I’m not sure why the girl’s name is never given, especially when her brother is named though.

While not very realistic - I can’t imagine even the most friendly doctor taking a child on a casual tour of the hospital and I suspect it would violate privacy laws anyways - this is a good introduction to the different types of medical professionals.

Verdict: A good supplemental resource for units on community helpers or careers.
ISBN: 9780062432414; Published March 2018 by HarperCollins; Purchased for the library