This is an excellent guide for parents whose child will (or might) undergo tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. The author, a school psychologist, play therapist, and parent of four who has had one of her own sons experience this procedure, certainly knows what she is talking about.

This book is well organized and prepares a family to cope with these medical procedures. It comes with a useful preparation list, a bibliography for additional reading, and a caregiver’s section that can be filled out with important medical info and kept handy. Dr. Laurie Zelinger gives practical advice every step of the way, showing parents what to expect from the day they are told their child will need the operation to post-surgery recovery.

For example, she states that when parents first get the news that their child needs surgery, it is best “not to discuss the topic on the ride home. Children do not need to hear both sides of a situation, or any concerns that you may have.” How true! And how wise. This will avoid building fear in the child from the onset. I also loved the suggestion of providing the recovering child with a bell to summon the parent since they won’t be able to call out. It seems the author thought of everything.

Throughout the advice found in the pages of this book, I saw respect for the child as a person. Although this book is not meant to be read to a child (I initially thought it was when I requested it for review because it was categorized under books for children of PreK age), the parent can still show the illustrations and summarize the explanations especially prepared for telling their children why they need to have their tonsils or adenoids removed.

This book is reassuring, comforting and helps to alleviate any fears regarding these procedures. I would highly recommend it to any parent who wants to be prepared to help their child face a difficult situation smoothly and confidently. ( )