PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION : A Doctor at Heart by Joan Schoettler & Steffi Walthall
ABOUT THE BOOK
A fascinating and inspiring picture book biography about Vivien Thomas, a pioneer of children’s heart surgery and trailblazer for Black people in STEM.
Vivien Thomas always loved solving problems and figuring out how things worked. In high school, inspired by his family physician, he decided he would become a doctor. Despite losing his college savings during the 1930 bank panic, Vivien stayed dedicated to making his dream a reality, a trait that would serve him all his life.
Vivien secured a lab assistant position at Vanderbilt University and later moved to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he and his mentor developed a groundbreaking procedure to cure blue baby syndrome, which led to them performing the first open-heart surgery on a child.
With the power of his passion, perseverance, and dedication to learning (and without any formal college education), Vivien saved thousands of lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR
Joan Schoettler is a children’s author who taught children’s literature and storytelling at California State University, Fresno. Joan is an award-winning author of five picture books and one middle grade novel. A Doctor at Heart: A Story of Groundbreaking Scientist and Teacher Vivien Thomas (May 12, 2026) is her latest picture book. Joan’s storytelling is illuminated in her stories about nature, art, and artists. Her writing demonstrates a global view as her stories traverse the world. Joan lives in central California with her husband. Visit her at joanschoetler.com.
Steffi Walthall is an illustrator and character designer born and raised in Virginia. She received her BFA in Game Development from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). Steffi focuses on crafting a diverse range of characters and unique stories and is the illustrator of Joan Schoettler’s A Doctor at Heart, Chris Barton’s Moving Forward, and J.E. Bright’s Wonder Woman: The Way of the Amazons. For more information about Steffi, please visit SteffiWalthallArt.com.
REVIEW
This picture book biography follows the experiences of Vivien Thomas who dreamed of being a doctor. Due to losing his savings during the Great Depression, he had to go to work instead. He got a job as a lab assistant in the research laboratory of Dr. Alfred Blalock. Despite his best efforts, Vivien never did go to college and earn his degree. But as Dr. Blalock's lab assistant he helped develop procedures to increase the flow of oxygen to the blood for babies with "blue baby syndrome". He provided directions to Dr. Blalock on the very first such surgery on a human child. His expertise led to him teaching at Johns Hopkins for many years. His incredible work led to many saved lives and eventually an honorary doctorate. Many struggles along the way including racism and having to supplement his income with other jobs slowed him down a bit but did not stop Vivien's important work. An author's note and sources list, along with further reading for children close out the back matter. This important story reminds readers that life's challenges don't need to stop us from making a difference in the world. The readable text and lovely art make this a good choice for sharing with children. Recommended.
SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS
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