Join us for SCBWI San Francisco/South’s Scholar-in-Residence Online Presentation Title "How Medicine Lives in Children's Books" by Bei Bei (BB) Chen!
How Medicine Lives in Children's Books
What do appendicitis and mysterious horizontal stripes have in common? More than you might think. Both have found their way into our hearts through beloved children's books.
As a pediatrician and writer, I've always been fascinated by the ways medicine creeps up in children's literature. Sometimes openly. Sometimes in disguise. In this 2026 SCBWI Scholar-in-Residence session, we'll look at stories that touch on illness, healing, big emotions, resilience, joy, and wonder, and we'll talk about why they resonate so deeply with young readers.
Along the way, we'll explore questions that extend beyond medicine: How can the things we know from our work, our passions, and our lives become a story? What story is already hiding inside you, waiting in plain sight? This session offers a prescription for finding out.
About Bei Bei (BB) Chen
Growing up across three continents, Bei Bei (BB) Chen dreamed of becoming a writer before studying medicine and becoming a board-certified pediatrician. Today, she's returned to her first love: writing picture books that celebrate wonder, curiosity, and joy. When she's not writing, she can be found chasing after her three young kids, dabbling in acting, plucking away at her ukulele... or feeding her very hungry betta fish. She is represented by Storm Literary Agency, and her debut picture book is forthcoming.
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