When Jude falls from a tree and breaks her leg, her journey to recovery begins. This engaging story takes young readers through Jude’s experience at the hospital, explaining the process of getting a cast and exploring her feelings throughout. The story reassures children about hospital visits and highlights the power of friendship and family support, especially from her brother Zaid, who—despite feeling a little jealous of the attention Jude is getting—goes out of his way to make her smile again.

Related

• My Brother Zaid: In this heartwarming story, Jude candidly shares the frustrations and annoyances of having a younger sibling, but in the end, her love and affection for her young brother Zaid shine through. A perfect story for young readers that highlights the ups and downs of sibling relationships and the power of love.
• Jude’s New Bicycle: When Jude finally gets her dream bicycle for her birthday, she faces the challenge of riding it without training wheels. Her friend Sami teases her, claiming that girls don’t know how to ride bikes, but Jude is determined to prove him wrong. This story highlights the joy of learning new things.
• The Complete Halazone Series: The Halazone series comprises 10 stories in a hardcover slipcase. The series follows Jude, her family and friends. Each story explores relatable themes from everyday life. With simple, easy-to-follow narratives and vibrant illustrations, these books are perfect for kids from toddlers to primary, sparking joy and imagination.

Parent and Teacher guide

We all know that children are prone to accidents. This story deals with such an incident. Jude climbs up a tree to free the shuttlecock but while standing on a branch she decides to show off to her friend, falls down and breaks her leg. “Watch Out Jude!” deals with the process of going to the hospital and getting her leg plastered. Jude’s younger brother Zaid has conflicting feelings about the whole incident. Seeing all the attention and presents Jude gets from family and friends, he secretly wishes that he could break his leg too. But Jude’s pain and discomfort make him run to comfort her and in the end Jude shares her new toys with him.

A great story to read to a kid; the process of entering a hospital is demystified and the child is comforted by the happy ending.

Questions for Discussion:

• Have you or your family or friends ever been through a similar experience as Jude's?
• Do you think visits and gifts can affect our feelings during tough times?
• Describe how Jude must have felt after she fell from the tree.
• Are Doctors and Hospitals important in our lives? What's their purpose?
• Are accidents a part of life? How can we deal with any accident that may happen to us or our loved ones?

About the Author

Taghreed Najjar was awarded the 2021 Jordanian State Award for Children's Literature. She has been a several-time nominee for the Astrid Lindgren award and a several-time winner and short-listee of the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature. Her YA novel Whose Doll is This? won the YA book of the year (2019). With a portfolio spanning 4 decades, Taghreed – a multifaceted author - writes picture books, middle grade and young adult books. Her picture books have become classics that are read and enjoyed by generations, while her YA novels have found great success in addressing difficult subjects reflecting political and cultural realities in the region. Several of Najjar’s books have been recommended by “White Ravens” and several have been translated into languages including English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, French and Turkish.

About the Illustrator

Lujaina Al-Assil studied Visual Communication and Interior Design at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University. She worked in the field of illustration since 1969 and supervised art production in several children's magazines in Syria and other Arab countries. Since 2001, she has been the artistic advisor for children's books at the Syrian Ministry of Culture and has hosted six individual painting exhibitions in Syria, Jordan, France, and Italy. In addition to her art exhibitions, Lujaina has taken part and contributed to regional and international book fairs around the world and has presented several lectures and supervised many workshops in the field of children's book illustrations in Italy, Kuwait, Sharjah, Lebanon, Tunis, and Syria. Lujaina Al-Assil passed away on February 29, 2024, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy.