Maisy jumps too high on a trampoline and breaks her leg coming down. At the hospital, the kind doctors and nurses explain what's happening and Maisy's friends come to visit, making the experience feel less strange. Cousins's trademark bright colors and thick black lines make the hospital inviting and cheerful.

In a First Experiences Storybook, Cousins' inimitable mouse Maisy makes another foray into the genre of picture books aimed at reassuring fearful readers. When Maisy breaks her leg on the trampoline, she must go to the hospital for the first time. Once there, Maisy meets Doctor Duck and Nurse Comfort and makes new friends with the patient in the next bed. Cousins lightly skims the surface of what a hospital visit might entail for a young reader. While her benign explanation will be reassuring for the youngest of readers, this by no means is a detailed preparation—those seeking more realistic portrayal would do well to look elsewhere. Her bright gouache paintings feature her familiar and beloved cast of characters and introduce a few new friends, and her simple tale is just right for a gentle introduction to a hospital visit. (Picture book. 2-6)

PreS-While strong on story, this title is short on information. It follows the young mouse as she is injured while playing on her trampoline. With the assistance of her friend Charley, she is off to the hospital where Doctor Duck sets her broken bone and Nurse Comfort puts her to bed in the children's ward. Maisy makes friends with her roommate and returns home the next day after learning to walk with her crutches. The gouache artwork is done in Cousins's familiar style and leavens the potentially frightening situations. Paulette Bourgeois's Franklin Goes to the Hospital (Kids Can, 2000) and Fred Rogers's Going to the Hospital (Putnam, 1988) offer more technical, child-friendly details about the experience.-G. Alyssa Parkinson, Highland Township Library, MI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.