BENJI AND BRIANA BECOME BOOGER DOCTORS

Siblings go to a magical world to cure their stuffy, snotty noses in Neighbors’ debut picture book.

Benji is concerned that his younger sister Briana (the children have fair skin and brown hair) isn’t feeling well as she sneezes stringy green snot everywhere. He decides to take matters into his own hands, saying that they need to take some pretend medicine—and so their adventure begins. Immediately upon arriving in a fantasy land with purple foliage, a sparkly sky, and a castle in the distance, Benji is greeted by the famed Booger Doctor, who is eager to help sneezy Briana. He leads her, with accompanying fairies, into an examination room to look up Briana’s nose for the source of all the snot. Benji offers to go first to make Briana feel more comfortable. The Booger Doctor says that Benji needs surgery, but promises it will be easy, and Briana encourages him to be brave. Benji wakes up to ice cream, and the pair travel back home to their bedroom. The story, written by a medical doctor, is imaginative and charming (“Benji, do you still have a booger problem?”). The text is on the longer side for a picture book, and the plot may be confusing and hard to follow for the youngest listeners. Still, they’ll be won over by Crecelius’ vivid illustrations, which are sweet, colorful, and engaging.

A unique fantasy take on easing anxiety about medical procedures.