By Margret Rey, H. A. Rey
George swallows a jigsaw piece and needs a night in the hospital to get it back out. A lot of families keep this one on hand for the week before a real visit.
George spots a jigsaw piece on the floor and, curious as ever, swallows it. Soon his stomach hurts, the Man with the Yellow Hat can't figure out what's wrong, and the two of them head for the hospital. A doctor examines him, an X-ray finds the missing piece, and George has to stay overnight for a small operation in the morning to remove it. He's uneasy at first. Then he's George again: he takes a ride on a gurney, meets the other children on the ward, and makes a silly face for a girl named Betsy who's frightened about her own operation. Step by step, the book walks a child through everything a hospital visit involves, with just enough monkey trouble to keep it light.
The reason it has stayed in print is that George is never scared of the hospital for long. When a visit is coming up, the book runs through what actually happens in a calm, matter-of-fact order, so the place feels a little familiar before your child ever walks in. And because it's George, the ward runs on curiosity instead of dread. He's far more interested in how the wheelchairs work than in the needles, and some of that ease can carry over to the child in your lap.