Parenting

Bart’s heart: The latest in Dr. Cargill Alleyne’s fascinating book series

It all started on a long drive to Disney World several years ago when Dr. Cargill Alleyne, neurosurgeon, responded to his kids questions about the brain. “At the time I suspect that my long-winded responses bored them since they fell asleep,” Dr. Alleyne says.  “I realized that there was a more interesting way to present these facts to them and so I began making up limericks about the brain during the drive.”

Dr. Cargill Alleyne, Director Cerebrovascular Services in our Department of Neurosurgery, has recently published “Bart’s Heart,” a second in his series of educational children’s texts designed to present facts about the human body in an entertaining, colorful manner from the perspective of a child. “My hope is that this series of books will encourage kids to read, become fascinated with the human body and perhaps consider a future career in medicine which they may not have otherwise entertained,” says Alleyne.

Books in the series contain a glossary at the end which provides both meanings of the medical terms as well as pronunciations, and there is also a “seek and find” element. Each page in the book contains a small head (in Ned’s Head) or a small heart (in Bart’s Heart) hidden in the detail of each illustration for the reader to find.

“Bart’s Heart” was illustrated by Colby Polonsky, a graduate of Augusta University’s Department of Medical Illustration (in the School of Allied Health), and “Ned’s Head” was illustrated by Mike Jensen (now Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Illustration) and Karen Bradley.  All three illustrators graduated from Augusta University’s Department of Medical Illustration one of only four accredited such departments in the world.

The first in the series, “Ned’s Head”, won an Honorable Mention at the Royal Dragonfly Books Awards in 2012, and Bart’s Heart recently won second place in the 2015 Royal Dragonfly Awards (Picture Books 6 & older). Future books planned in this series include Joan’s Bones, Nellie’s Belly, Malachi’s Eye, and Russell’s Muscles.

Both books are now available on Amazon.com and in bookstores (ISBN 13: 978-1478224921 for Ned’s Head and ISBN 13: 978-1515009986 for Bart’s Heart).

About the author

Children's Hospital of Georgia

Children’s Hospital of Georgia is the only facility in the area dedicated exclusively to children. It staffs the largest team of pediatric specialists in the region who deliver out- and in- patient care for everything from common childhood illnesses to life-threatening conditions like heart disorders, cancer and neurological diseases.