A Gentle Vet Story for Kids: Free Read-Aloud Video & Printable Comprehension Worksheet
If you’re searching for free reading comprehension worksheets, a gentle social-emotional learning (SEL) story, or a calm vet story for kids to ease a little one’s nerves before a real visit, you’ve found all three in one place. “What’s Wrong with Tom?” is a warm picture book about a cat who isn’t feeling himself, a family who notices, and a kind vet team who help him feel better. We’ve turned it into a free, low-stimulation animated read-aloud and paired it with a free printable reading comprehension worksheet (PDF) you can download in seconds.
Everything on this page is completely free for parents, teachers, and homeschooling families. Watch the story, download the printable worksheet, and use our ready-made discussion questions to teach empathy, kindness, and caring for animals, no prep required.
What is What’s Wrong with Tom? What’s Wrong with Tom? is a gentle rhyming picture book by veterinarian Dr. Gal Chivvis about a cat who becomes unwell and visits a kind vet team. It teaches children empathy, pet care, and bravery, making it an ideal social-emotional learning (SEL) read-aloud and reading comprehension resource for ages 5-7.
Watch the Free Read-Aloud Video
This read-aloud is animated in our signature low-stimulation style, with gentle pacing, soft visuals, and calm narration that won’t overwhelm little ones. It’s the kind of screen time that soothes rather than winds up, making it perfect for quiet time at home, a calm-down corner in the classroom, or a settling bedtime story.
The story is told in bouncy, easy-to-follow rhyme, with a lovely surprise woven through: every so often, we hear Tom’s own thoughts. That little window into how Tom is feeling helps children step into his paws and imagine what he might be going through: the very first seed of empathy.
Watch the video HERE.
Free Printable Reading Comprehension Worksheet & Art Challenge
Our free printable reading comprehension worksheet (PDF) helps children reflect on the story, practise their comprehension skills, and connect the story’s message to their own lives. Download it, print it, and it’s ready to use, at home or in the classroom.
The printable worksheet has two parts:
Reading comprehension questions. Eleven gentle questions guide children back through the story, building from simple recall toward warmer, more thoughtful reflection. They’re perfect for reading comprehension practice, guided reading, group discussion, or a quiet independent writing activity for ages 5-7 (Reception to Year 2 / Kindergarten to 2nd Grade).
A creative art challenge. The second page invites children to draw themselves caring for an animal they love (a real pet or an imaginary one) and to show all the ways they’d help their animal feel happy, safe, and loved. It’s an open, creative way for children to connect the story to their own capacity for kindness, and it doubles as a lovely SEL activity.
We’d love to see what your children create! If you’d like their artwork featured on our homepage slideshow, there are details on the printable worksheet for sending it in.
Reading Comprehension Questions (See Them Before You Download)
Here are the discussion and comprehension questions included in the free printable worksheet, so you can see exactly what’s inside:
- Describe Tom. What was his personality like?
- How did Tom enjoy spending his days?
- When Tom moved house, how did this make him feel?
- One day Tom got sick. How do you think his family felt?
- What did they do to help?
- What does the Critter Care Crew do?
- They had a special way of communicating with animals. What was it?
- Why do you think it was important for the vet to be kind and gentle with Tom?
- How did they help Tom feel better?
- If you had a friend who had a sick pet, what would you tell them?
- Tom couldn’t use words to say he felt sick, so his family had to notice the signs. Why is it important to watch out for our pets and animals?
These questions work beautifully for circle time, guided reading groups, or one-to-one bedtime conversation. The final few move children from simple recall into empathy and reflection: exactly the kind of higher-order thinking that makes a picture book such a powerful teaching tool.
A Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Story About Kindness, Caring & Being Brave
On the surface, What’s Wrong with Tom? is a story about a cat who goes to the vet. Underneath, it’s a rich social-emotional learning resource that teaches some of the most important lessons we can share with young children. It maps naturally onto the core competencies of SEL and, in the UK, onto PSHE topics around caring for animals, recognising feelings, and looking after others.
Social awareness and empathy. Tom can’t use words to say he feels unwell, so his family has to pay attention and notice that he isn’t acting like his usual self. This is a wonderful, concrete way to teach empathy: paying attention to how others might be feeling, even when they can’t tell us in words.
Responsible decision-making and caring for others. Tom’s family doesn’t wait or hope the problem goes away. They act, kindly and quickly, because that’s what it means to look after a pet. The story models responsible, caring pet ownership in a way that’s gentle and age-appropriate.
Self-management and bravery. A trip to the vet is a little frightening for Tom, just as a trip to the doctor can feel scary for a child. With his loving family beside him and a kind vet team looking after him, Tom finds his courage. Children learn that being brave doesn’t mean not being scared; it means facing something hard with people who care about you.
Kindness and compassion. The vet team is patient, gentle, and warm. Their kindness is what helps Tom relax and feel safe: a quiet but powerful reminder that how we treat others, especially when they’re frightened or unwell, makes all the difference.
If you’re a teacher or homeschooler building an SEL lesson or a unit on empathy, kindness, or caring for animals, this story and its free worksheet give you a complete, story-led starting point.
Using This Story to Prepare Your Child for a Vet Visit
One of the loveliest ways to use What’s Wrong with Tom? is to prepare a child for a real vet visit. If you have a pet appointment coming up, or you’re welcoming a new pet into the family, a gentle story like this can quietly take away a lot of the worry.
Children often feel nervous about the vet for the same reasons they feel nervous about the doctor: it’s unfamiliar, and they don’t know what to expect. Watching Tom feel a little unsure and then be brave, with his family beside him and a kind, gentle vet team looking after him, helps children understand that the vet is a safe, caring place. It shows them that the people there want to help, not hurt.
After watching, you can use the story to talk it through: “Remember how the vet team was so gentle with Tom? They’ll be gentle like that with our pet too.” The comprehension questions above give you a natural, no-pressure way to have that conversation. It’s a simple, reassuring way to turn a potentially scary experience into one your child feels ready for.
Even More Free Resources from the Author
The author of What’s Wrong with Tom?, Dr. Gal Chivvis, is an emergency veterinarian as well as a children’s author, and she’s created a wonderful set of free companion resources to go alongside the book. These are perfect if you’d like to extend the learning even further.
On her website, you’ll find free activity sheets, printable colouring pages, and a helpful glossary that explains some of the trickier words in child-friendly terms. The glossary is especially lovely for curious children who want to understand a little more about what the vet team does.
Explore Dr. Gal Chivvis’s free What’s Wrong with Tom activity sheets
Between our free printable comprehension worksheet and Dr. Chivvis’s activity sheets, colouring pages, and glossary, you’ll have everything you need for a rich, gentle unit on caring for animals, noticing feelings, and being brave.
How to Use This Story at Home or in the Classroom
At home. This is a beautiful bedtime or quiet-time story, especially if you have a little one who feels nervous about doctors or vets, or if your family has a pet of your own. Watch the read-aloud together, then use a few of the comprehension questions as gentle bedtime conversation.
In the classroom. Use the read-aloud as a calm settling activity, then work through the printable comprehension worksheet together or as independent work. The art challenge makes a lovely follow-up SEL lesson, and the themes fit naturally into PSHE and any topic on pets, animals, or caring for others.
For homeschooling families. Pair the read-aloud, our free printable worksheet, and Dr. Chivvis’s glossary and activity sheets for a complete, ready-made lesson on empathy and animal care, no prep required.
For guided reading. The eleven comprehension questions are ideal for a guided reading group, moving children from recall to inference to personal reflection.
About the Book & the Author
What’s Wrong with Tom? is the debut picture book in the Critter Care Crew series by Dr. Gal Chivvis. Tom is a playful cat who suddenly isn’t acting like himself. After a house move leaves him feeling stressed and out of sorts, his loving family notices something’s wrong and takes him on a brave trip to the vet, where a kind, gentle team helps him feel better and get back to his happy self.
What makes this book so special is who wrote it. Dr. Gal Chivvis is an internship-trained emergency veterinarian with nearly 15 years of clinical experience, which means the warmth and care in the story come from someone who has spent her career looking after animals and helping worried families. She blends real veterinary insight with gentle storytelling to help children understand health, compassion, and the vet experience in a way that feels safe and reassuring, never frightening.
Dr. Chivvis’s work has been recognised with the Literary Titan Gold Book Award and the 2025 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal. The next book in the Critter Care Crew series, What Did Libby Do?, is on its way, so there’s plenty more gentle, caring storytelling to look forward to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is What’s Wrong with Tom? about?
It’s a gentle rhyming picture book about a playful cat named Tom who suddenly isn’t feeling himself. His loving family notices something is wrong and takes him to a kind vet team, who help him feel better. Along the way, the story teaches children about empathy, caring for pets, and being brave, making it a lovely social-emotional learning (SEL) read-aloud.
Is there a free reading comprehension worksheet?
Yes! Our free printable reading comprehension worksheet (PDF) includes eleven comprehension and discussion questions plus a creative art challenge. You can download and print it straight from this page. Dr. Gal Chivvis also offers free activity sheets, colouring pages, and a glossary on her website.
What age group is this story and worksheet for?
The read-aloud works beautifully for children aged around 3 to 8. The printable comprehension worksheet is pitched for ages 5-7 (Reception to Year 2, or Kindergarten to 2nd Grade).
How does this story support social-emotional learning (SEL)?
The story naturally teaches three core SEL competencies: social awareness (empathy for Tom), responsible decision-making (the family noticing and getting help), and self-management (Tom’s bravery). It’s an ideal, story-led way into SEL or PSHE lessons on empathy, kindness, and caring for animals.
What’s actually wrong with Tom?
Without giving too much away, Tom becomes unwell after a stressful house move, and his family’s quick, caring response means the vet team is able to help him feel better. The story keeps things gentle and reassuring, focusing on the kindness of the vet team and the love of Tom’s family rather than anything scary. Dr. Chivvis’s free glossary explains some of the trickier words in child-friendly terms if your child is curious to learn more.
How can I use this story to prepare my child for a vet visit?
Watch the read-aloud together before the appointment. Seeing Tom feel a little nervous and then be brave, with his family beside him and a kind vet team looking after him, helps children understand what a vet visit is like and takes away a lot of the worry. The comprehension questions give you a natural way to talk it through together.
Is the read-aloud suitable for sensitive or younger children?
Yes. This is a low-stimulation read-aloud: gently paced, softly animated, and calmly narrated. It’s designed to soothe rather than overstimulate, which makes it well suited to sensitive children, bedtime, and calm-down time in the classroom.
Where can I find more free read-alouds and worksheets like this?
Our free kids’ book club is full of gentle, low-stimulation read-alouds, each paired with free printable comprehension worksheets and discussion questions. You’ll find more stories linked below, and you can subscribe to Storytime with Karyn on YouTube so you never miss a new one.
Explore More Free Read-Alouds & Printable Worksheets
If your family enjoyed Tom’s story, there’s plenty more waiting for you. Our free kids’ book club features gentle, animated read-alouds of wonderful children’s books, each with free printable comprehension worksheets and discussion questions, all designed to make reading a calm, joyful experience.
You might also love our Learn with Karyn channel, where our friendly robot dog Bobbie helps little ones explore educational topics through fun, calm, curriculum-aligned videos, each paired with free printable worksheets for ages 5-7.
Free Curriculum-Aligned Worksheets from Learn with Karyn
Tom’s story is all about caring for others and noticing when someone needs help. Two topics on our Learn with Karyn channel pair especially well with those themes:
Our free Community Helpers worksheets (also known as People Who Help Us) introduce children to the many people who care for and help our communities, from doctors and firefighters to food bank volunteers and care home workers. Just like the kind vet team who looked after Tom, these are the everyday helpers who keep us safe, healthy, and cared for. The pack includes six printable worksheets, a vocabulary page, and a full teaching guide, all aligned to the UK, US, Canadian, and Australian curricula.
Our free Needs and Wants worksheets gently introduce children to an important early money and life-skills concept: the difference between the things we need and the things we want. It’s a lovely next step for building thoughtful, caring young decision-makers, and comes with the same free printable format and four-country curriculum alignment. You can also watch the companion Needs and Wants video lesson, where Karyn gets her very first job and wants to spend all her money.
Help Us Keep These Resources Free
Helping us keep these resources free is easy and completely free for you: subscribe to Storytime with Karyn on YouTube, give the video a like, and share it with a family or teacher who’d love it. Every subscribe, like, and share helps us reach more children and keep making gentle, caring content that families can trust.
Thank you for being part of the ChangeTheWorldWithKaryn community.
With love and magic,
Karyn
