Facing fears: The thing you dread is rarely as scary as you imagine.
When Shawn can’t stop scratching his neck, Theodore takes one look and says it’s time to see a doctor. But Shawn has never been to a doctor before — and the very idea terrifies him. He tries every excuse he can think of (no insurance, no time, it’ll go away on its own) before finally admitting the truth: he’s scared.
With a gentle word and a little encouragement, Theodore points Shawn toward Doctor Hoppenstein, the best doctor in town and a good friend. Shawn bravely makes the appointment and goes on his own — bracing for the worst. Instead he finds a comfortable waiting room (not the prison he imagined), a kind nurse named Bunella, and a friendly doctor named Frank who explains everything and assures him the rash is nothing serious.
It turns out the scariest part — a shot — is over before Shawn even notices the nurse has given it. Along the way he works up the courage to ask Nurse Bunella out for carrot-dogs, and comes home with one very funny surprise (let’s just say a little fur had to go). Looking back, Shawn realizes he was frightened for no reason — it was only the scary stories he’d heard that had spooked him.
A warm, reassuring story about facing your fears and discovering that the thing you dreaded wasn’t so scary after all — perfect for any child feeling nervous about a trip to the doctor.
Readability
This is a picture book for a parent to read aloud to a child, not an early reader. The natural fit is ages 4–8 read aloud, and roughly 6–9 for independent reading — the short, simple sentences make it the easiest book in the series to read on one’s own so far. Across about 42 pages, Shawn works through something many young children feel: fear of the unknown. He admits he’s scared, goes anyway, and finds the doctor and nurse kind and the whole visit far easier than he imagined — which makes this a genuinely useful read before a child’s own checkup or first shot. A few things to know: Shawn briefly pictures a scary “evil doctor” and a prison-like waiting room (shown clearly as his imagination and quickly proven wrong), he gets a shot (handled so gently he doesn’t even notice), and there’s a sweet, age-appropriate moment where he asks the nurse out for carrot-dogs. A warm, faith-filled, biblically based story about courage, being honest about our feelings, and facing fears.
Sneak Peak
Music: It Wasn’t So Bad
activity/discussion guide (coming Soon)