LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Hospital Critterz: The Prairie Pet” (hospitalcritterz.com) – the first book in an imaginative new children’s adventure series, designed to help ill and healthy children and families better cope with healthcare experiences wherever they occur, debuts this week.
The “Hospital Critterz” series is designed to provide kids ages 7 to 12 with entertainment, drama and a needed diversion from the often-intimidating world of healthcare. By giving nurses and other healthcare professionals depicted in the story friendly, winsome personalities, the book’s creator and author hope to offer children inspiration and courage to face the challenges and fears they may confront when they are ill, or require a medical service or procedure.
“We want Hospital Critterz to create a warmer, friendlier healthcare environment for children before they even visit a hospital or have that medical procedure, ideally by reducing their anxiety,” said Michael Singer, the Hospital Critterz creator.
Personal experience and a profound respect for healthcare workers motivated Singer to develop an idea to help children feel more at ease in a healthcare setting by fueling their imaginations with endearing, fun-loving characters. Singer is Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Partners, Inc., which designs and produces apparel and footwear for nurses and other healthcare professionals — including Tooniforms, a line of healthcare apparel featuring many of the world’s most famous cartoon characters. He also publishes Scrubs Magazine, the nation’s first lifestyle magazine for nurses, which premiered in 2009.
Author Stacey Laura Lloyd has created an imaginary world that parallels the reality of children who are ill, or facing ongoing medical treatment. Lily, a confident, encouraging, and precocious 8-year-old patient at McPopper Children’s Hospital, receives a worn set of markers imbued with magical powers. Lily draws each of 12 “Hospital Critterz” who fantastically come to life and whisk her and her friend Max back in time to real historical periods where they come to the aid of others to solve riddles just in time to avoid calamity and misfortune.
“Hospital Critterz: A Prairie Pet” is available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. It retails for $6.95.
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