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What Medicine Can Do
An accessible, informative, and humorous introduction to the power of medicine for young readers.
Uh-oh—Raccoon feels blerg and ick. Read along as he and his friends do symptoms checks, get examined, get diagnoses, and each, in turn, get the medicine they need. Readers will learn that medicine can make you feel more comfortable, help you heal, help prevent you from getting sick, and more. Written by nonfiction maven Gabrielle Balkan, and vetted by both a pediatrician and a nurse practitioner, this conversationally informative text incorporates comfort and humor, in partnership with Alberto Lot’s emotive, comical character art. A truly enjoyable read that will leave readers better equipped for their next germy experience!
Uh-oh—Raccoon feels blerg and ick. Read along as he and his friends do symptoms checks, get examined, get diagnoses, and each, in turn, get the medicine they need. Readers will learn that medicine can make you feel more comfortable, help you heal, help prevent you from getting sick, and more. Written by nonfiction maven Gabrielle Balkan, and vetted by both a pediatrician and a nurse practitioner, this conversationally informative text incorporates comfort and humor, in partnership with Alberto Lot’s emotive, comical character art. A truly enjoyable read that will leave readers better equipped for their next germy experience!
48 pages, Hardcover
Published November 11, 2025
About the author
Gabrielle Balkan
28 books26 followersGabrielle Balkan writes for readers of all ages, equally enjoying picture books and readers as chapter books and young adult fiction. Her works include The Dog Rules by Coco LaRue, a Scholastic Book Fairs best-seller that sold 150,000 copies and demanded a follow-up.
One of her first forays into writing nonfiction was “America is hard to See,” a children's audio guide for the the inaugural exhibit at the Whitney Museum of Art's Gansevoort location. The 50 States was Gabrielle's first non-fiction book and was followed by two companion books, two activity sets, one follow-up atlas: 50 Cities.
She's also the author of BOOK OF BONES (an International Literacy Association pick) and it's companion, BOOK OF FLIGHT (coming in Spring 2019).
Before embarking on a career as a full-time writer, Gabrielle was a book buyer for the Scholastic Reading Clubs, a commissioning editor for Scholastic Paperbacks, and the Director of Communications for City and Country School.
Gabrielle was raised across from the State Fair Grounds in Indianapolis, Indiana and lived short stints in Augusta, Georgia and Zurich, Switzerland. After graduating with a degree in English and Elementary Education from Barnard College she decided to see what else the city had to offer, and now lives with her family in Brooklyn.
One of her first forays into writing nonfiction was “America is hard to See,” a children's audio guide for the the inaugural exhibit at the Whitney Museum of Art's Gansevoort location. The 50 States was Gabrielle's first non-fiction book and was followed by two companion books, two activity sets, one follow-up atlas: 50 Cities.
She's also the author of BOOK OF BONES (an International Literacy Association pick) and it's companion, BOOK OF FLIGHT (coming in Spring 2019).
Before embarking on a career as a full-time writer, Gabrielle was a book buyer for the Scholastic Reading Clubs, a commissioning editor for Scholastic Paperbacks, and the Director of Communications for City and Country School.
Gabrielle was raised across from the State Fair Grounds in Indianapolis, Indiana and lived short stints in Augusta, Georgia and Zurich, Switzerland. After graduating with a degree in English and Elementary Education from Barnard College she decided to see what else the city had to offer, and now lives with her family in Brooklyn.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 7, 2026
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Racoon does not feel well, so he talks to his great-grand-racoon, who asks if he has any symptoms. After a symptom check that looks at his tummy, throat, tail, and skin on his leg, Racoon reports that his symptoms include a rash on his leg. Who did this? Do I have an enemy? Racoon exclaims. Great-grand-racoon explains that his diagnosis of the problem is that Racoon has a rash from a poison ivy plant. There's medicine in lotion form that can help, and other treatments are described. Racoon feels better soon. He wants to play, but his friend Fox is under the weather. After going through the same symptom check, which includes a fever and a scratchy throat, Fox's mother takes him to the doctor, who does a throat swab and diagnoses Fox with strep throat. He has to take a liquid antibiotic, but feels better soon. Our last patient is Racoon's infant sister, Baby Fox, who isn't sick at all. Still, she goes to the doctor to get a vaccine. While it isn't her favorite thing to do, she takes her stuffed animal with her for comfort, and bravely gets a shot. An overview at the end of the book explains how medicine can come in many forms, and can help with a variety of medical issues. There is also a warning that medicine is not for sharing, a list of other things children can do to remain healthy, and a glossary of important terms.
I really liked the formulaic way this book was laid out, and think it would have been super helpful for my own children to go through the progression of symptom, diagnosis, and treatment. Having this knowledge of procedure can make things less scary for children. The explanation of vaccines was especially helpful, and I liked that Baby Fox was shown crying briefly, but then felt better. When Fox is visiting the doctor, the doctor performs all of the procedures he is going to do on a stuffed octopus first, which is a great way to take some of the fear of the unknown away from a medical appointment.
Lot's brightly colored illustrations have bold and cimple shapes, but the faces of the animals are still very expressive. The text is easy to follow, and this would be great for older children to read to younger ones, especially since Fox is such a great big brother to Baby Fox.
I vividly remember the entry in the Childcraft Encyclopedia of my youth where a little girl has to have her tonsils out. It was photoillustrated, and walked through all of the steps of her hospital stay in a similar matter of fact way. For years, I thought it might be kind of cool to get my own tonsils out, so there's something to be said for advanced preparation. Since this covers a range of medical procedures, this is a great book to have on hand to prepare young patients.
Racoon does not feel well, so he talks to his great-grand-racoon, who asks if he has any symptoms. After a symptom check that looks at his tummy, throat, tail, and skin on his leg, Racoon reports that his symptoms include a rash on his leg. Who did this? Do I have an enemy? Racoon exclaims. Great-grand-racoon explains that his diagnosis of the problem is that Racoon has a rash from a poison ivy plant. There's medicine in lotion form that can help, and other treatments are described. Racoon feels better soon. He wants to play, but his friend Fox is under the weather. After going through the same symptom check, which includes a fever and a scratchy throat, Fox's mother takes him to the doctor, who does a throat swab and diagnoses Fox with strep throat. He has to take a liquid antibiotic, but feels better soon. Our last patient is Racoon's infant sister, Baby Fox, who isn't sick at all. Still, she goes to the doctor to get a vaccine. While it isn't her favorite thing to do, she takes her stuffed animal with her for comfort, and bravely gets a shot. An overview at the end of the book explains how medicine can come in many forms, and can help with a variety of medical issues. There is also a warning that medicine is not for sharing, a list of other things children can do to remain healthy, and a glossary of important terms.
I really liked the formulaic way this book was laid out, and think it would have been super helpful for my own children to go through the progression of symptom, diagnosis, and treatment. Having this knowledge of procedure can make things less scary for children. The explanation of vaccines was especially helpful, and I liked that Baby Fox was shown crying briefly, but then felt better. When Fox is visiting the doctor, the doctor performs all of the procedures he is going to do on a stuffed octopus first, which is a great way to take some of the fear of the unknown away from a medical appointment.
Lot's brightly colored illustrations have bold and cimple shapes, but the faces of the animals are still very expressive. The text is easy to follow, and this would be great for older children to read to younger ones, especially since Fox is such a great big brother to Baby Fox.
I vividly remember the entry in the Childcraft Encyclopedia of my youth where a little girl has to have her tonsils out. It was photoillustrated, and walked through all of the steps of her hospital stay in a similar matter of fact way. For years, I thought it might be kind of cool to get my own tonsils out, so there's something to be said for advanced preparation. Since this covers a range of medical procedures, this is a great book to have on hand to prepare young patients.
February 18, 2026
A silly book with sooo much practical information for helping kids understand different aspects of getting sick or going to the doctor. This book is much more comprehensive than I feel like the title would lead you to believe. It's a little longer, so perfect for slightly older kids. Plus a glossary at the end of the book.
*A patron was like, "Have you read this? It is so good" -- then I read it (the book ~I~ ordered), and I was like wow, I did such a good job.
*A patron was like, "Have you read this? It is so good" -- then I read it (the book ~I~ ordered), and I was like wow, I did such a good job.
January 30, 2026
I really like this! I’ve been looking for a book to explain medicine to kids for a while, and this is the first I’ve found.
I’m still looking for a book that talks more the actual process of taking medication and what to do if you’re having trouble, but this book is a good start on a topic with surprisingly few available picture books.
I’m still looking for a book that talks more the actual process of taking medication and what to do if you’re having trouble, but this book is a good start on a topic with surprisingly few available picture books.
April 12, 2026
The doctor's office can be scary. Lots of tools for looking inside eyes, ears, and mouths. What is a cotton swab and a tongue depressor for? What kinds of medicine do I need? Why do you need to take my temperature and listen to my heart? This is the perfect book for littles nervous about the doctor's office and curious about why we see a doctor when we get sick.
December 19, 2025
New addition to the children’s section of our local library and I wanted to see what will probably show up on a banned book list from the anti vaxxer crowd. This was a great book to share with young children to explain medicine and how it can help alleviate pain.
March 5, 2026
This is a simple, upbeat, and fun intro to medicine and doctor visits for a young audience. Doctor visits can be a scary experience for children, and this book explains everything in a calm and reassuring way.
April 29, 2026
explains medical tools; supports health science understanding
May 7, 2026
This is long for a readaloud, but quite good! 6yo just recovered from strep so was excited to recognize the symptoms in the book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews