• Age: 5 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3

Featuring six real x-rays printed on mylar, Jessica's X-Ray is a unique and fun look inside our bodies and the world of x-rays written by a professional x-ray technologist who has worked extensively with children. In the book, kids follow Jessica, who has broken her arm, as she tours the hospital seeing x-ray rooms and looking at actual x-ray, CAT-scan, MRI and ultrasound images. These real x-ray images are printed on mylar so readers can see firsthand what Jessica sees. An identification key at the end of the book also helps kids pick out bones and muscles on their own.

 

by Pat Zonta ; illustrations by Clive Dobson

Pat Zonta's profile page

Clive Dobson is a versatile artist and illustrator with many books to his credit including Tex and Watersheds. He lives in Toronto.

Clive Dobson's profile page

This is a great title for kids to read to help take the scariness out of any emergency room visits a child may face. It would also be a good resource for a unit on the human skeletal system. Recommended.

Library Talk

Despite the rudimentary level of the illustrations and the text, the book is useful as an introduction to these complex medical procedures.

School Library Journal

Demystifies the process in a nonthreatening, very interesting way.

Akron Beacon Journal

Zonta has found a great way to demystify the X-ray process and take the scariness out of it, while at the same time providing some painless and fun education about the body.

Hamilton Spectator

Children are interested in what goes on inside their bodies. This book, full of real x-rays, will fascinate them.

Science Books and Films

Fascinating, even for adults. I can't say it emphatically enough -- this is a must buy.

Canton Repository

Great preparation for any child wondering about a scheduled X-ray procedure, not to mention parents who could use a tutorial.

Reading Today

Seeing the x-ray machines, themselves, and the light panels, the lead aprons, and other hospital equipment makes the discussion of unfamiliar terms easier for children to understand. Recommended.

Canadian Materials

This book would be great preparation for any child wondering about a scheduled X-ray procedure, not to mention parents who could use a tutorial.

Charlotte Parent

Jessica's X-Ray is a unique way for children to learn about their bodies. Parents will find it a useful tool to help ease a child's fear about going to the doctor or hospital.

Parents and Kids

I recently had the privilege of reading Jessica's X-Ray to my three children. The story details a girl's visit to the hospital after falling and breaking her arm. Illustrating the book are radiographs, a computed tomography image, an ultrasound image and a magnetic resonance slice. These are all images of actual patients and are printed on clear Mylar, so they look and feel like the real thing... The story, written for children, takes readers on a path through the hospital. I recommend every radiology department keep a copy or two on hand because it takes the mystery out of having an x-ray exam. It shows that not only is Jessica going to be fine, but she also will get a cool cast for friends to sign, which she'll keep as a memento... The last page is devoted to frequently asked questions and their answers. Like the rest of the book, it is written in easy-to-understand language. As a radiation therapist, I'm always on the lookout for simple ways to explain x-rays to the average person, and I found the last page to be a nice resource. The book also was useful for me as a mom. Sometimes it's hard to find the right words to comfort your child while being honest about what's going to be done, but Pat Zonta has found a child's voice and uses it quite well. I hope you all enjoy Jessica's X-Ray as much as my children and I did.

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