In Nurse Florence: Why do I Need to Eat Vitamin B-1 or Thiamine? three friends learn about the importance of thiamine in converting food into energy through engaging lessons from their mentor, Nurse Florence. How do you approach simplifying complex scientific concepts like thiamine’s role in the body for young readers?

The main technique I use is to imagine talking to my 11 year old child as I write.  I try to only include a handful of new words per book so that it is not overly complicated.

How do you ensure that your books appeal to both children and adults, making them valuable educational tools for families and classrooms alike?

It was an accident that the books are just as valuable for adults as they are for children.  A government study suggests only 12% of US adults are proficient with health information so we hope the series sparks a global health literacy promotion movement.

What role do the illustrations play in enhancing the learning experience for young readers?

The illustrations help inspire me to write the text.  I give my illustrators drawing prompts to guide them which then in turn guides my writing.

Are there any specific future topics you plan to cover in the Nurse Florence series, and how do you choose which health concepts to explore next?

We plan to publish around 500 Nurse Florence books to cover all diseases and general human physiology questions.  We publish 4 to 8 new Nurse Florence books a month.  Stay tuned for more!

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