Maria's Marvelous Bones

by Carrie Kollias

Overview

Maria hurts her arm by accident. She meets very kind people at the hospital. Maria learns about fractures, casts, x-rays, and how bones heal. She also learns to be brave.

Written by a bone surgeon to guide kids through fracture treatment and healing,

Maria's Marvelous Bones also embraces gender and cultural diversity in healthcare professionals.

"The story takes readers on a realistic journey, which concludes when Maria gets her cast removed. It also introduces educational elements, including anatomical terms...Guile's (Bear Picks a Pumpkin, 2018, etc.) top-notch illustrations are charming and colorful, with diverse characters. They emphasize friendly faces, which will be particularly encouraging to young patients in similar circumstances.

A wonderful resource to help prepare children for medical intervention after an injury." -- KIRKUS REVIEW

"It is a gentle tale, encouraging and informative, without being frightening. Even the artwork by Gill Guile has a soft-edged quality. Accurate medical terms are used throughout and each is described in child-friendly language" - Lethbridge Herald

"Teach littles about fractures [and] orthopaedic work! Maria's Marvelous Bones by COA member Carrie Kollias embraces gender and cultural diversity in healthcare. Congrats, Dr. Kollias. Beautiful!" -- @CdnOrthoAssoc (Canadian Orthopaedic Association)

I am a pediatric orthopedist (bone doctor for kids). I bought this book for my waiting room, my patients love it Thank you for this on behalf of my young patients! -- Dr Jennifer M. Weiss

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780228802228
Publisher:	Tellwell Talent
Publication date:	06/05/2018
Pages:	34
Sales rank:	656,221
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.09(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dr. Carrie Kollias is a Canadian orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the care of children. She has a very helpful husband and two kids who listen to a lot of stories about bones. Carrie works at Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Editorial Reviews

02/03/2020

Written by a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, this picture book follows Maria and her journey to recovery when she breaks her arm. After Maria gets hurt playing on the couch with her brother, she must bravely wait her turn in the emergency room before undergoing a series of medical tests. Kind Dr. Mark teaches Maria about her fracture and sends her off in a bright green cast. Kollias writes accessibly, walking children through the emotions and sensations they may experience and the timeline of recovery while equipping them with pertinent vocabulary, including “IV line,” “x-ray,” and the names of several bones. Guile’s accompanying artwork is rendered in a soft, warmly colored style reminiscent of classic picture books; characters have small eyes and round faces in a range of skin colors. A welcome resource for parents and doctors, as well as a tenderness-infused assurance for any child with a broken bone. Ages 4–7. (Self-published)

Publishers Weekly

2018-09-05

After an accident, a girl finds support, comfort, and care from kind medical staff in Kollias' debut picture book.

Maria and her brother are jumping on the couch when she falls and breaks her arm. At the hospital, she encounters caring doctors and nurses who provide her with explanations to help her feel safe. For example, a nurse uses a blood pressure cuff to see "how well Maria's HEART was working to pump blood around her body." Maria also receives an IV and x-rays, and she receives medicine that puts her to sleep so that a doctor can make her arm straight. The author, an orthopedic surgeon, depicts medical processes using child-friendly language ("an x-ray is a picture of bones…taken with a special camera that can see through skin"). Overall, the story takes readers on a realistic journey, which concludes when Maria gets her cast removed. It also introduces educational elements, including anatomical terms: "Dr. Anna said Maria's body was making ‘CALLUS'…a big ball of bone glue. The glue had calcium in it, to make…broken bones heal." Guile's (Bear Picks a Pumpkin, 2018, etc.) top-notch illustrations are charming and colorful, with diverse characters. They emphasize friendly faces, which will be particularly encouraging to young patients in similar circumstances.

A wonderful resource to help prepare children for medical intervention after an injury.

Kirkus Reviews