Itsy Bitsy Spider

Starred review from August 1, 2013
This delightful early reader is one of the first entries in the irresistibly named Urgency Emergency! series that combines nursery-rhyme characters, a medical setting and deadpan humor. Dr. Glenda the dog and Nurse Percy the rooster are on duty at City Hospital when Miss Muffet (a cat) arrives, escorting an injured spider to the emergency room for treatment of a head injury. Poor Itsy Bitsy "was just climbing up the waterspout" when a flood of rainwater knocked her down. Each step of Itsy's treatment is carefully and simply described, from evaluation of her cognitive status to the stitching of her wound and arrangements for further care from Miss Muffet. Dr. Glenda is calm and in control, and Nurse Percy is compassionate and kind, holding "all of Itsy's hands." Although the approach is humorous, this clever effort is a concise, step-by-step description of the procedure of getting stitches at the hospital, an experience common to many families with young children. Appealing cartoon-style illustrations on yellow backgrounds clearly illustrate the medical procedures and add to the characters' personalities with expressive faces for all the animals, even Itsy Bitsy. The gender-role defiance exemplified by Dr. Glenda and Nurse Percy's relationship is an added bonus. Top-notch medical care in an equally terrific early reader that will appeal to preschoolers, new readers of all ages and anyone else who appreciates droll humor and an inventive plot. (Early reader. 5-8)

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October 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-Both easy readers follow the same basic plot: Doctor Glenda, a dog; Nurse Percy, a chicken; and penguin paramedics bring the patient into the emergency room. In the first story, a wolf is choking. Doctor Glenda carefully explains that something is caught in his throat and must be removed but Nurse Percy is cowering under the gurney. This is a smart chicken-afraid of a wolf. Doctor Glenda quickly convinces him that the wolf is their patient and that he should overcome his fear and help out. Careful readers will noticed the sheep dressed in red in the waiting room who has lost her grandma. The staff squeezes her out of the wolf's stomach, calls the police, and everyone lives happily ever after. In the next book, a spider is taken to the emergency room by Miss Muffet, a cat. The spider fell down the waterspout and cut her head. Miss Muffet is afraid of spiders, but she knows that she has to get help for her. Doctor and Nurse stitch up the spider's head and, in spite of her fear, Miss Muffet takes her home and offers her curds and whey. The books feature one to three sentences per page, and the illustrations are large, colorful, and funny. Supplemental purchases useful for beginning-reader enjoyment or as introductions to emergency-room procedures.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

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