Review by Booklist Review
Young Henry and Gulsa, his hijab-wearing nanny, walk to the hospital to visit his grandma. As soon as they arrive, Gulsa gets distracted, and Henry gets bored waiting for her, so he sets off on his own, searching the whole hospital and meeting myriad interesting people along the way. Translated from German, Schössow's story turns a potentially frightening situation into a warm journey of discovery. Henry meets some very ill patients, and while for many children, those moments would be scary, Henry's blithe, matter-of-fact narrative keeps the tone light. When a security guard finally leads him to Grandma's room, Henry is surprised to see a crying Gulsa and an angry Grandma, and he realizes that wandering off was scary for them, too. The text is primarily in dialogue in inset boxes, which nicely complements the two-dimensional, digitally rendered illustrations. Expressive-looking characters of all shapes, sizes, and colors pepper the pastel, cosmopolitan hospital, and multiple Henrys knocking door-to-door in expansive scenes give readers a sense of his endless search. A comforting read for little ones intimidated by hospitals.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A search for a boy's grandmother in a large metropolitan hospital provides a startlingly honest look at the lives of sick people. When Henry and his Kurdish nanny, Gulsa, arrive at the hospital to visit Henry's grandmother, Gulsa gets a phone call and Henry wanders into the hospital alone. He encounters many patients, including a man with a close-fitting cap ("Chemo," he tells Henry. "It's when you get cancer.... It makes you vomit.... But if it works, it kills the bad cells and you get better"); a woman with dementia; and a friend from school. "I've got a bean up my nose, but don't ask me how it got there!" she tells him. German artist Schössow's account can be long-winded yet stays respectful and intelligent, and Spencer deals ably with humor and colloquialisms. Outlined in thick blue, the comics-style figures stand as still as chess pieces, as if posing. In the end, a kindhearted guard rescues Henry, though his grandmother scolds him for wandering away. It's not the usual child-enters-hospital comfort book; it's more a child's-eye view of the mystery of ill health itself. Ages 5-8. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
Narrator Henry and his (hijab-wearing) nanny, Gulsa, go to the hospital to visit his grandmother. When Gulsa gets held up outside the building, Henry takes it upon himself to locate Grandma in the labyrinthine structure; along the way, he chats with workers and patients. This humane journeycumhospital tour is original picture-book terrain. Institutional colors dominate the expansive, ultra-clean-lined art. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A little boy makes his first visit to a hospital, a fascinating world all its own.Accompanied by his Kurdish nanny, Gulsa (her name means "happy rose"), Henry carries a bouquet of flowers. Gulsa is talking on her new phone, so when they reach the door of the hospital, the young white boy decides to go on ahead inside to find his grandmother. It's busy and noisy, like an airport, with people of all ethnicities all around. When Gulsa doesn't come, he begins exploring on his own: the halls, the elevators, even the rooms of other patients. An elderly black woman in an elevator scolds Henry, calling him George. A nurse arrives to take the confused woman back to her room. Henry's surprised to find a white classmate named Sydney, who's there because she got a bean up her nose. Henry's too concerned about Grandma to laugh. Finally, a helpful security guard named Harvey-James escorts him to his grandmother's room, and who should be there but Gulsa? The pictures tell the story in this beautifully, distinctively designed book. Double-page spreads are dominated by straight industrial lines, with figures outlined in black that add dimension, tinted pages, and text boxed against a white background. The text is overlong and peppered with jokes only adults will understand, and it's a shame that the story kicks off due to hijab-wearing Gulsa's irresponsibility. Artistically educational. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
