Blood Soup Children’s Book

For kids, doctors’ offices are the site of reliable waterworks. Even under the best circumstances, shots, prods, pokes, and—worst of all—blood draws are not the stuff of smiles and laughs. Sometimes it’s a one-and-done shriekfest. But for other kids, these procedures are a critical part of ongoing care. 

Jessica Wilfore, a mom, educator, and certified Child Life Specialist, has seen it over and over in her work in a pediatric hospital setting. Jessica helps kids process upcoming procedures and diagnoses with materials that make sense for their age and development. But she’d never come across a resource that explained blood—its components, how it works in bodies, and what it means to “take” some of it. So she wrote a book about it, titled Blood Soup. 

“I believe that the more children know, the better they can respond,” Jessica said. Blood draws are scary, but Blood Soup demystifies them in a way that kids can understand. Our grant will help her promote Blood Soup and distribute copies to 100 hospitals all over the United States and around the world. No bad blood there.