Ada, the Surgeon & the Headless Skeleton

Season 1, Episode 5

Meet Ada, an eight-year-old kid living in Brooklyn. She loves sewing, making graphic novels, and playing with her friends. When Ada joins the Page Flipper Club, she gets to interview a surgeon and save the day by rescuing a headless skeleton!

Grab your grownup for these extra resources!
  • Our grownup moment on this episode was about BKLYN Book Match, a free service where real BPL librarians recommend books for you based on your interests. If you're a teen, you can use this form to get books recommended to you by other teens!
  • Do you want to be on our Ooh Song? Record yourself on a smart phone or computer saying something you like to do, and have your grownup email the audio file to podcasts [at] bklynlibrary [dot] org. Oh, and tell us your name so we can give you a shoutout!
  • Read more books about being a doctor or check out Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks, the book that the Whoa Gizmo found for Ada.
  • For more information on the human body check out ScienceFlix, available with your library card! We also wrote up a blog post that shows you how to use this awesome resource.
  • Dr. Fenizia Maffucci has done illustrations for medical journals and often uses art in her work with patients. You can view her illustrations in Urology and Translational Andrology and Urology.
  • Are you a teacher or librarian? You're in luck! You can use this episode in your classroom or library. BPL children's librarian Brian Muldoon created a story time program and an activity for school-age kids that you can use in your own library or classroom, with this episode as starting point.

The Whoa Gizmo (aka our fantastic children's librarians) created a list of books about being a surgeon to go along with this episode! Plus, if you're a teacher or a librarian, we created a story time program and an activity for school-age kids that you can use in your own library or classroom, with this episode as starting point.


Episode Transcript

Meet Ada and Dr. Fenizia
Dr. Fenizia Maffucci (left) is an artist and a urology specialist at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
Ada (right) is eight years old and wants to be a surgeon and an artist when she grows up.

Rachel You’re listening to Page Flippers Take on the World from Brooklyn Public Library: a podcast where kids save the day by exploring their interests, discovering new books and talking to real live experts! If you can take over the show, you can take on the world!  

[Door opens]  

Sheneatha Hey Rachel, I see why you like to hang out in the arts and crafts room. It’s so quiet in here!  

Rachel [Groans]

Sheneatha Rachel? Where are you? 

Rachel [Growns again] I’m cutting off my leg, Sheneatha!  

Sheneatha You’re cutting off your leg?  

Rachel I’m cutting off my leg!   

Sheneatha Rachel! The library is not the place for major surgery!    

Rachel I mean with a crayon!   

Sheneatha Well, that’s gonna take a while. Is that you over there on the floor?   

Rachel Yes. I’m trying to trace my body on butcher paper with a crayon. I can’t reach my foot and keep cutting it off.     

Sheneatha I think you just need some help! There’s no I in TEAM. Here lay back down and let me try. [Sound of crayon on paper] Done! 

Rachel Sheneatha, that’s amazing. Very postmodern!  

[Cuckoo clock goes off]

Sheneatha Oh! It’s time to start the Page Flipper meeting! And the magic! 

Rachel Let's take the magic book chute!  

Sheneatha Hey, you all out there ... wanna come with us? Just close your eyes and ….

[Book chute sound fades int Theme Song]  

? Theme Song Lyrics ?

Kid I'm really good at cooking!

Rachel That's so cool. Maybe one day you'd like to work as a chef. Or own a restaurant. Or write cookbooks!

Kid I can draw a really amazing monster.

Kid I'm really good at painting.

Sheneatha Wow! Maybe you'd like to be an illustrator for books. Or work as a computer animator for movies or video games!

Chorus Page Flippers Take on the World! x 4

Sheneatha I can do so many things. I read about the things I dream. I flip pages like a chef flips pancakes. I'm a Page Flipper, I can do anything!

Chorus Page Flippers Take on the World! x 2

[Theme song fades into the sounds of kids playing]

Sheneatha Hi, everyone! Welcome to the Page Flippers Club! [Kids cheer] For those of you who are here for the first time, I’m Librarian Sheneatha.  

Rachel And I’m Librarian Rachel! And I hereby call to order this meeting of Page Flippers: kid book lovers who want to be the best readers and the best people they can be! You know what we love to say: we flip pages like a chef flips pancakes.    

Sheneatha That’s right! To start off our Page Flipper meeting, let’s do our Imagination Recitation!  

Rachel Everybody join in!  

[Librarians lead chant, with kid voices echoing the lines]  

Want to travel the world? Just flip a page!  

Want to save the day? Just flip a page!  

The story I make is up to me.

We’ll make our world what we want it to be. 

When we meet in this library space,  we change it to a magical place!

Sheneatha Now the magic can really start!   

[Shaking, tinkling, ringing ... sounds of the Whoa Gizmo appearing]

Melina What is that?

Jack It looks like some crazy magical machine! It's got lots of buttons and levers.

[Whoosh sound] 

Kid voices Whoa!

Sheneatha Whoa is right ...  it’s the Whoa Gizmo! 

Jack What does it do?  

Sheneatha Some incredible things!  But it can’t do anything until it gets to know our Star Page Flipper.   

Rachel So let’s get to it! Today’s Star Page Flipper is Ada! Ada, would you like to introduce yourself? 

Ada My name is Ada and I'm eight years old and I live in Brooklyn.

Sheneatha Let’s hear it for Ada!

[Kids cheer]  

Sheneatha Today, Page Flipper Ada is leading the show! During the Page Flipper meeting, we’ll find out more about Ada's interests.  

Rachel Oh! And then the Whoa Gizmo will find her the perfect book! That’s my favorite part.  

Sheneatha Mine too. Because when we read, we go on adventures and learn more about the things that interest us. You know, things that make you go “oooh.”   

Kid voices Oooh.  

Euna Librarian Sheneatha, don't you have a song about that?

Sheneatha I sure do.

? Ooh Song Lyrics ?

Sheneatha Tell me the things you like, that make your heart sing! Stuff that makes you happy, your favorite things. 

Zoë I love to be a mermaid.

Sheneatha Things you love to do and learn about, things that make you shout! Ooh. Oh. Things that make you go ooh, ooh, ooh. 

Clémence I like playing with blocks.

Ovadia I like to play games and I'm good at reading.

Rachel Shout out to the Page Flippers on this week’s Ooh Song! Clémence, Zoë, and Ovadia. And any Page Flipper can be part of our Ooh Song.

Sheneatha We’ll tell you more about how you can do that at the end of our meeting.  

Rachel Ada, since you’re the Star Page Flipper today, tell us, what makes you go "ooh"?

Ada I really like drawing and reading and playing guitar. 

Rachel What kind of books do you like to read?  

Ada Well, I really like graphic novels, and I like a series called Amulet. I actually like a lot of graphic novels, and I like to Baby-Sitters Club books.

Sheneatha If you could do anything when you grow up, what would you do? 

Ada I want to be a surgeon. But then when I retire, I'm going to move to the Catskills with my kids and become an artist. 

Rachel Wow, you really have it all planned out! I love it. 

[Whoa Gizmo shakes] 

Sheneatha Ada, if you’re ready for the Whoa Gizmo, it’s ready for you. Pull the lever, and see what comes out.  

[Sounds of lever being pulled and machine working]

Rachel It’s a book! Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks  

Kid voices Book talk!

Rachel Have you ever wondered what it looks like underneath your skin? Where do all your organs live? And what about your bones and blood? 

Well, now you can find out without operating on your friends! Human Body Theater is a comic that takes you on a journey from the inside out, starting with the skeleton and ending with your skin! You learn cool facts about microscopic cells, the mysterious inner ear, and why we bleed. 

I think you’ll love exploring the body through these awesome illustrations and funny, entertaining text. 

Sheneatha What do you think, Ada? Want to check this book out?  

Ada Yeah!

[Whoa Gizmo makes noises]

Sheneatha Whoa! The Whoa Gizmo is moving and shaking ... is that a screen appearing?

[Beeps of an incoming call]

Rachel Oh, it must be a call coming through! Go ahead and unmute yourself, I think the Whoa Gizmo has a call just for you.

[Beep]

Dr. Fenizia Hi, I'm Dr. Fenizia. I hear there's someone named Ada here who wants to be a surgeon and an artist. 

Ada That's me!

Dr. Fenizia Hi, Ada. So you're interested in medicine?

Ada Yes, I am. Can you tell me more about what you do?

Dr. Fenizia Sure. Being a surgeon is both challenging and it's fun. When I walk into the hospital, I don't know what the day will bring, and that's really exciting.

Ada What made you want to be a surgeon? 

Dr. Fenizia Well, I wanted to be a doctor ever since I was really small. And in medical school, I just fell in love with anatomy. And then when I was finally able to observe the surgeons in the operating room, I was absolutely hooked. And as a surgeon, you have the honor of using your hands to help people. And I think that's very special.

Ada Is there lots of blood when you operate? Is it ever icky? 

Dr. Fenizia Sometimes, yes. But one of our jobs as a surgeon is to make the bleeding stop. It's actually something that we measure and control. So, as surgeons, we're very happy when the patient loses as little blood as possible. 

Ada How are you able to use art as a doctor? 

Dr. Fenizia So for me, being an artist and a doctor goes hand in hand. I've had to learn how to keep my hands steady, and I see the tissue differently in the operating room because I'm an artist. Before I operate on somebody, I always like to draw out pictures so they can understand their anatomy and the procedure to be done. And I think that's a really helpful skill. And, both in the OR and in the art studio, everything is about focus and mindfulness. Nothing else matters other than the person in front of you and the task at hand.

Ada How do you help your community? 

Dr. Fenizia Well, I help my community by showing up to work every day with compassion for my patients. I know that the doctor's office and the hospital are really scary places to be. So regardless of day or night, if it's a weekend or holiday, when I see a patient, I always come prepared to listen.

Ada If you have kids, how do you have enough time to do everything? How do you juggle your personal life with being a doctor?

Dr. Fenizia So at this point in my life, I do not have children, but I know many surgeons who are moms and dads, and these days you'll see a lot more surgeons with pregnant bellies in the operating room. I'm certainly at the stage of my career where I am working a lot of hours. It can be a little challenging at times, but I have a really supportive network of family and friends. So, whenever I do have that time off, I really, really enjoy it and I'm very present with my family and friends.

Ada When you have to do surgery, what are some things you have to remember?

Dr. Fenizia I have to remember to be calm so my hands are steady, and I have to be careful and precise. I wanted to ask you, Ada, how did you get interested in surgery? 

Ada Hm, I don't know. I've just always been interested in it. In fact, at my dad's house I have real bandages and a real stethoscope. 

Dr. Fenizia Wow. What do you use a stethoscope for?

Ada I like pretending to do it on stuffed animals. Plus, I don't, but if I ever wanted to open up a stuffed animal, the good thing is I know how to sew, so ...

Dr. Fenizia That's great. I used to love to sew so much at your age too. In the operating room, when we sew patients together, it's very, very similar. It's basically the same thing. You're on your way, Ada!

Ada Thank you so much!

Dr. Fenizia You're welcome. It was so nice talking to you, Ada.

Ada Bye, Dr. Fenizia!

Sheneatha Bye! Come back and see us anytime. 

Sheneatha Bye! Come back and see us anytime. 

[Beep of call ending, then music starts]

Rachel Okay, Page Flippers, to end our Page Flipper meeting, it's time to ... grab a grownup! We know you're there, grownups. We can smell you. Well, not really. But we know you're there! 

Sheneatha And if your mama or your auntie or grandpa is washing dishes or something, just turn up the volume on this one! 

? Grab Your Grownup Lyrics ?

Shake your head up and down. 

Snap your fingers with us now.

If you can't snap, clap your hands! 

Side to side, just do your dance.

Grab your grownup! x 3

Just do your dance and take them by the hand! 

Shake, shake, and do your little dance now.

Rachel Here’s our grownup moment for today ... BKLYN Book Match! Are you and your family getting into a reading rut? Tired of the same old books (I know, I love War and Peace too, but how many times can we keep re-reading it?) Then sign up for BKLYN Book Match! It’s easy! Just fill out an online form sharing your reading interests, and a real BPL librarian will put together a customized reading list for you or your child based on those interests! How cool is that? Simply go to BKLYN Library [dot] org [slash] bookmatch. 

Sheneatha Did you know that the book we shared with Ada, Human Body Theater, is an actual book? You can check it out from your public library. Plus we have a whole list of other books about being a surgeon on our website! Grownups, head to BKLYN Library [dot] org [slash] Page Flippers to learn more.  

[Ooh song instrumental]

Rachel Oh, and kids, if you want to join our Ooh Song, ask your grownup to use their smartphone or computer to record you saying something that makes you go “ooh."

Sheneatha Yeah, you know, like, “I love to ride my bike.” Or, “I like swimming at the beach.” 

Rachel Or, “I like swimming at the beach on my bike ...”  

Sheneatha Uhh, maybe you shouldn’t do both at the same time?

Rachel Yeah, that does sound pretty hard. 

Sheneatha Whatever it is you like to do, have your grownup record you and them email the file to podcasts [at] BKLYN Library [dot] org.  

Rachel That’s it! Page Flippers, see you in two weeks on our podcast feed … or any time at the library!

[Music fades to sounds of kids playing]

Sheneatha That was such a good Page Flipper meeting. If pages were pancakes, you’d have to roll me outta here! [Laughs]

Rachel Hey Ada, do you mind grabbing Harvey out of the closet on our way out of the meeting room?     

Ada Harvey? 

Sheneatha Harvey is a skeleton.  

Ada A skeleton?!  

Sheneatha Harvey is a skeleton made of plastic, and Rachel is very proud of him.   

Rachel He’s the main attraction to my big Library Lab science program tomorrow! The kids are gonna go wild …

Ada Okay … [sound of opening and closing a closet] Oh no!  

[Dramatic piano music]

Sheneatha What?

Ada He’s missing his head! [Gasp]

Rachel Harvey lost his head?? He was always so calm. How did this happen? Uh... uhh [sound of shifting through objects in a box] It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll just put this cow puppet on him and no one will notice! Right?  [Moo] 

Sheneatha This is not good …  

Rachel The kids will be so bummed! No bones about it. 

Ada Wait ... [opens closet farther] The skull is here at the bottom of the closet! I know what has to happen. I just have to stay calm so my hands are steady. And I have to be careful and precise, like Dr. Fenizia said! A needle and some thread, please! And some cookies.  

Sheneatha Cookies? 

Ada I think better with cookies. 

Rachel I’ve got a needle and thread from the knitting club! 

Sheneatha And strangely–and yet not strangely—I have cookies in my pocket. 

Ada Thanks! [cookie crunching sound] Okay, stand back. To be a surgeon you have to have steady fingers ... I’m going to loop the head through the neck hook ... attach it just so … now, I’ll tie a careful and precise knot … I think I’ve done it! 

Rachel It worked! [Cheers] Harvey is saved! Once again, our Page Flippers came to the rescue by reading books and asking the right questions.

Sheneatha Page Flippers, there are so many things you’re good at, so many things you can learn, and so many great things you can do!  

Both Page Flippers, Unite!  

Sheneatha Wait a minute. I think we surprised them.  They didn’t say it with us. Let’s say it all together … all the Page Flippers listening out there, I’m looking at you!  

Rachel Okay, on the count of three we’ll all say, “Page Flippers, Unite!”… 1, 2, 3 …  

Kids + hosts Page Flippers, Unite!

[Theme song]   

Sheneatha Page Flippers take on the World is brought to you by Brooklyn Public Library. It’s produced by Virginia Marshall and hosted by me and Rachel Tiemann.  Our script is written by Virginia, Rachel, and me!  

Rachel Original music from Ty Frison and Sheneatha Frison. Maddie Flythe and Meryl Friedman designed our logo. Page Flippers Take on the World is produced with support from PRX and is made possible (in part) by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education. 

Sheneatha Our team of children’s specialists and library professionals include Jessica Ralli, Rachel Payne, Fritzi Bodenheimer, and Kevin Kelley. Brian Muldoon was our program magician for this episode. He created programs that librarians and teachers can use for kids of all ages, and Sarah Eagan made our book list. Check both of those out on our website: BKLYN Library [dot] org [slash] page flippers.

Rachel Special thanks to Dr. Fenizia Maffucci, a real live urologist in Philadelphia! Kid voices on this episode were Jack and Melina E, and Ada was our Star Page Flipper 

Sheneatha See you next time at the Page Flipper Meeting – or wherever you get your podcasts!  

Subscribe to Page Flippers