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The Importance of Getting the Vaccine
Nurse Florence: Why Do I Need the Flu Shot? is an educational children’s book that explains the flu virus and the importance of vaccination in simple, science-based terms. What inspired you to focus on explaining flu vaccines to young readers?
I think this book answers the questions even adults have. For some, it seems strange that we have to get a new vaccine every year. Some might ask, Does that mean the old vaccine doesn’t work anymore? I wanted to clearly communicate to families the importance of getting the vaccine every year and why it is needed. The virus changes over time and I wanted to try to make that clear.
How did you approach simplifying complex scientific concepts like immunology and vaccines for a children’s audience?
I keep pages simplified with a main concept every page. It is important to not overload information with children. I think even adults appreciate that approach.
The book emphasizes community protection and empathy. Why was it important for you to include this message, and how do you hope children will respond to it?
As a Registered Nurse, I’m thinking about protecting the community and using empathy to provide a therapeutic environment. I would like children to see Nurse Florence’s empathy and care for others so that they will want to imitate that behavior. We need role models and Nurse Florence can be one.
What challenges did you face when trying to make medical ideas engaging and easy to visualize through illustrations?
I trust in my illustrators’ abilities to present science concepts to kids which are visually appealing and revealing core science concepts. The Nurse Florence series is powerful because of this approach where the illustrations compliment the writing, and the writing compliments the drawings.
Nurse Florence – Why Do I Need the Flu Shot?
Nurse Florence: Why Do I Need the Flu Shot? is an educational children’s book that aims to explain the flu and the importance of flu vaccinations. Written in a conversational tone, the story follows Nurse Florence as she visits a classroom to teach kids about the flu virus, how vaccines work, and why it’s important to get vaccinated. Complete with colorful drawings and clear explanations, it breaks down complex medical ideas into digestible parts for young readers. The book also includes a glossary, which can help kids learn and remember new scientific words.
I appreciate how thorough this picture book is. There’s a real effort to make sure readers understand why the flu virus changes every year and why new vaccines are needed annually. The illustrations, like the drawing of the virus, really help to visualize these concepts, and it’s clear the author put a lot of thought into how to present science in an engaging way.
The book effectively covers basic immunology in a way that is accessible to children. Nurse Florence’s explanations are clear and informative and are designed to communicate important scientific concepts simply. For example, the section that explains how antibodies work provides a detailed and accurate description.
One part that really worked for me was the emphasis on community protection. The idea that getting vaccinated not only helps you but also safeguards vulnerable people is presented with genuine care. This message is especially valuable, and I thought it was a sweet way to teach kids about empathy and responsibility. It’s clear the book’s heart is in the right place, and I felt that sense of purpose shining through Nurse Florence’s lessons.
This children’s book is best for curious young readers who have an interest in science or for parents wanting to teach their kids about the flu vaccine in an easy-to-digest way. Teachers looking to add some educational content to their classrooms will find it useful, too.
LITERARY TITAN 