The Berenstain Bears Hospital Friends (Paperback)

This title will be released on April 21, 2015.

Charity!  All of the author’s royalties are being contributed to the Stan & Jan Berenstain Healthy Kids Foundation, a charitable organization devoted to children’s health issues.

Before I was pregnant with my first child, I had the luxury of rarely thinking about going to the hospital or doctor.  I had check-ups and even inner ear surgery at one point, but until doctor’s visits became much more common and routine in my life, I mostly just thought of places like the hospital as somewhere I wanted to avoid.  Since the time my oldest was in the NICU until very recent visits when a friend underwent cancer treatment, my thoughts have matured.  I have so much respect for hospital employees that I see working together to help save lives and make patients comfortable and it is wonderful to help out where possible.  I see how donations make a big difference in the lives of families, especially children, who are receiving treatment for longer than just a brief visit.  Luckily, I get to share all of this late blooming appreciation with my family and I have a great new scoop for you.

I am excited to tell you about the latest Berenstain Bears book called Hospital Friends that will be released on April 21 where all of the royalties are being contributed to the Stan & Jan Berenstain Healthy Kids Foundation.  The foundation was started by Stan & Jan’s son, Mike, in his parents’ memory with a mission to fund children’s health initiatives.  He has a big incentive to choose Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as the first location to benefit from the Healthy Kids Foundation; his wife, Laura, is an Attending Anesthesiologist there.  CHOP’s role as the location for this book is acknowledged on the cover and Mike spent a lot of time at CHOP sketching and conducting interviews for this book.

In Hospital Friends, The Berenstain Bears take a trip to the hospital to visit a friend recovering from having his tonsils out and discover all of the amazing things to learn at a hospital when they do a tour.  They meet lots of doctors, nurses and patients and talk about ways to be healthy.  The cubs learn about certain procedures and skills done by the medical staff and even see an emergency helicopter as it lands.  They learn that their Hospital Friends will take good care of them and their friends and family if they are ever a patient.  The illustrations are spot on to a hospital and I imagine all of Mike’s visits to CHOP to do sketches have a lot to do with that!  Perfect read for families and a wonderful gift or donation to children’s hospitals and kids who frequent places such as CHOP.

The Berenstain Bears Hospital Friends (Paperback)

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com

List Price: $ 3.99