Grug Goes to Hospital

Grug Goes to Hospital by Ted Prior (Simon and Schuster)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-073181437-4
Reviewed by Peta Biggin

Grug loves to play. One day Grug was showing his friend Cara how he could swing off a rope when he fell. Cara rushes Grug to the Bush Hospital where she bandages him up and helps him feel better.

                      Grug was showing Cara how he could swing on a rope…
                            …when he fell heavily to the ground.

Such is the beginning of poor Grug’s next adventure. After the fall, he is taken to the Bush Hospital by his loyal friend Cara who then sets about mending all the bumps and bruises. He gets to spend time recovering, having visitors and drawing pictures to cheer up the other patients. When he is back on the path to good health, Grug leaves the hospital deciding that he needs to be a little more careful in the future.

As a long time fan, I was pleased to see another new release from Ted Prior; and Grug Goes to Hospital will be a welcome addition to any fan’s collection. As with all the other stories in this long running series the text is easy to read, the illustrations are wonderful and Grug is endearing.

Before starting the Grug series in 1979, Ted Prior worked as a police officer and art teacher. He also worked in children’s TV and animation. Ted Prior created Grug while he was living on a small farm in northern New South Wales. He was inspired partly by reading to his two young children and partly by the surrounding Australian bush where Burrawangs are plentiful. You can become friends with Grug on Facebook, or check out the website http://www.mygrug.com/