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Books for Kids about Illness

Books for kids about sickness, mental health, and hospital visits. For this list, picture books will be listed first followed by non-fiction materials for children. For children's books about the loss of a loved one, check out our booklist, "Death for Kids."

Library Staff
User from New Westminster Public Library

20 items

  • Llama Llama's mother takes good care of him when he has to stay home from school because he is sick, but when Mama Llama begins to feel sick, too, Llama Llama knows how to take care of her.
    Book, 2011New York : Viking, 2011. — PIC Dew
  • Baba teaches his beloved seven-year-old granddaughter Rose how to weave a beautiful garden rug. When Baba falls ill, can Rose complete the rug all by herself, then share it with him?
    Book, 2025New York, NY : Anne Schwartz Books, [2025] — EASY FIC Khe
  • Describes what a young dinosaur should do in order to quickly get over being sick.
    Book, 2003New York : The Blue Sky Press, [2003] — PIC Yol
  • Big Tree Is Sick

    a Storybook to Help Children Cope With the Serious Illness of a Loved One

    Slosse, Nathalie,
    When Big Tree unexpectedly falls ill with woodworm, Snibbles is very upset and angry. The illness is a very bad one and Big Tree does not feel well and doesn't want to play for a long time. What can Snibbles and his friends do to help Big Tree…
    Book, 2017Philadelphia, PA : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017. — EASY FIC Slo
  • Saturdays are superhero days. Equipped with their milkshakes and capas, Luis and his abuela can turn anything into an adventure. But when Abuela gets sick, Luis has to learn a new way to be a hero.
    Book, 2023New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2023] — PIC Siq
  • Aleeya, concerned when her beloved mother becomes sick, remembers and returns the promise Mommy has made to her--that she will always be by her side.
    Book, 2019Los Angeles ; New York : Disney Press, 2019. — PIC Sul
  • ix-year-old Erin's favorite game is spotting animals in the clouds with her mom and dad-- everything from fluffy foxes and polar bears to little rabbits. Even when Erin falls very ill and has to spend a long time in the hospital, she still manages…
    Book, 2023Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2023. — EASY FIC Col
  • A young girl with appendicitis recounts her strange and scary trip to the hospital, and the nine times she cried--and a few times when she did not.
    Book, 2023New York : Holiday House, [2023] — PIC Bro
  • Some days Mama is bright like the yellow part of a rainbow. Other days, Mama is flat like the scratched surface of our kitchen table. So I tell Mama a story . . . A girl tells about a misunderstood dragon as a way to understand her mother's…
    Book, 2022New York, NY : Reycraft Books, 2022. — PIC Die
  • In We're Going to the Doctor, Billy and Nell go for a check-up and have an injection. This novelty book with a sweet story has fun flaps to lift and mechanisms to move as well as practical tips for parents and carers on each page, endorsed by…
    Board Book, 2019London : Campbell Books, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, 2019. — BOARD BOOK
  • Little Dorothy is not feeling well. She needs to go to the doctor for the first time. Little Dorothy is a bit scared. Join the Wiggles and Little Dorothy as she gets a check-up, and realises that going to the doctor is not so scary, after all!
    Book, 2022Rowville, VIC : Five Mile Press, 2022. — EASY 610 GOI 2022
  • When Ben finds out he has cancer, he learns a lot right away. He learns that cancer is something you fight, and that cancer isn't anyone's fault; especially not his. He discovers that many things change with cancer, but some of the most important…
    eBook, 20192019. — DOWNLOADABLE eBOOK
  • In this book, readers will learn to cope with the serious illness of a loved one.
    Book, 2020Minneapolis: Jump, Inc. 2020 — EASY 616.04 FIN 2020
  • Developed by literacy experts and educators for students in PreK through grade two, this book introduces beginning readers to hospitals through simple, predictable text and related photos
    Book, 2022Minneapolis, MN : Bellwether Media, 2022. — EASY 362.11 MCD 2022
  • Germy Science

    the Sick Truth About Getting Sick (and Staying Healthy)

    Kay, Edward
    Kids will learn all about what germs (a general term for four specific microorganisms) actually are, how we get sick, how the human immune system works, and the best ways to stay healthy.
    Book, 2021Toronto, ON : Kids Can Press, [2021] — JUV 579.3 KAY 2021
  • Meet doctors and nurses, ride in an ambulance, and discover the magic of medicine in this nonfiction story for kids.
    Book, 2022New York, NY : Neon Squid, 2022. — EASY 362.11 NWO 2022
  • Atchoo!

    How We Catch a Cold

    Read, Leon
    In Catch a Cold, Ben has a runny nose, and Jiffy can't understand how you can catch something you can't see. Square Bear explains where colds come from and how they affect our bodies.
    Book, 2016London : Franklin Watts, 2016. — EASY 616.205 REA 2018
  • Do you remember every time you've been sick? You may not, but your body does! With many illnesses, you can't get sick more than once because your body remembers and fights it off before you get sick again. But what if your body could recognize germs…
    Book, 2023New York, NY : Little Bee Books, [2023] — EASY 615.37 LAR 2023
  • Be a Virus Warrior!

    a Kid's Guide to Understanding Vaccines

    Macgregor, Eloise
    Introduces readers to the concept of vaccines, how they are made, and how they help us stay well.
    Book, 2022New York : PowerKids Press, 2022. — EASY 615.372 MAC 2022
  • The Big Book of Barf

    a Spewnami of Sick Science, Hurled History, and Body Oddities

    Lorencen, Vicky
    Did you know that there are glasses to prevent motion sickness--or that astronauts can get 'space sick?' This ... illustrated book is jam-packed with silly facts, crazy activities, and even recipes (barf-day cake, anyone?) that will have you…
    Book, 2025New York : Bright Matter Books, [2025] — JUV 612.3 LOR 2025