Peter Clenott

Come with Piper as she experiences her first overnight stay at the hospital. Join Piper as she meets Miss Jamie the Child Life Specialist, Dr. McNice, the nurses and the techs; all working together to make her stay as nice as it can be. Beamer the therapy dog narrates this delightful story. He introduces us to some of the very special people we can find at Children’s hospitals everywhere, gently caring for those we love. “Being a patient in the hospital can be a very scary time. Thanks to Cindy Chambers for writing this book to help all children cope with being a patient in the hospital, and for highlighting the role of the child life specialist. Our child life specialist is a critical member of our team. We could not do what we do without their expertise.” Lucas R. Collazo, M.D. Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Co-Director of the Pediatric Heart Program Medical Staff President, Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Inova Children’s Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia “A hospital stay can be frightening and confusing to children with special health care needs and their families. Tell Me Town’s Piper Stays Overnight At The Hospital gently follows young Piper as she meets a Child Life Specialist who helps navigate the hospital visit and manage medical procedures. Advance reading of Piper’s story will alleviate the anxieties of a pediatric inpatient stay. This delightful adventure with Piper, Miss Jamie and Beamer offers children and families a great opportunity to predict and prepare for an important medical experience.” Kelly Henderson, Ph.D. Mom and Executive Director, Formed Families Forward Instructional Faculty, College of Education and Human Development George Mason University, Fairfax Virginia “Piper Stays Overnight At The Hospital introduces two specific “helpers” found in many pediatric settings - child life specialists and therapy dogs! Having retired from Child Life, I appreciate the description that Child Life Specialist Miss Jamie provides about an IV start and some useful coping techniques. The narrator, therapy dog Beamer, is a delightful character who makes important observations about the hospital experience. By design, this book has a slightly different approach from others in Cindy Chambers’ series because it does not describe a specific reason for a hospital admission, and thus allows a family to make a personalized adaptation of the story.” Jerriann Myers Wilson, M.Ed., CCLS Retired child life specialist