Booklist Review

PreS. Lively characters and a warm, realistic story help convey an upbeat message in this small, square picture book in the First Time Stories series. Toddler Ben has a fever and his ears ache, but when he pays his first visit to the doctor, he's afraid and won't let the doctor examine him. After his big sister allows the doctor to look at her throat and ears and to listen to her chest with a stethoscope, Ben sees that an exam doesn't hurt at all. The clear, bright line-and-watercolor pictures show the doctor's waiting room, the exam, the drugstore where Dad gets Ben's medication, and, finally, Ben tucked in bed at home. A prefatory note to parents suggests that repetition helps children understand situations from everyday life, and the story is appealing enough for toddlers to come back to again and again. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist