In my almost 50 years of experience in nuclear medicine, the pediatric application has represented one of the most important areas, both on a clinical and scientific level. I therefore know well how problematic it is to work with minors (who are not small adults), in difficult technical and psychological conditions. Precisely for these reasons, I am happy to express my gratification for the authors of this book, all recognized as international experts in the field, guided by the editors Zvi Bar-Sever, actually at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center, Petah-Tikva, Israel; Francesco Giammarile, at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria; Ora Israel, at the Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Technol, Haifa, Israel; and Helen Nadel, working at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, USA.

They have been able to condense into a relatively small number of pages everything that is important to know to do our job well in difficult conditions, not only for the critical patients but also for the methodological and communicative aspects concerning relatives and caregivers. All the most important pathological conditions are presented, taking into account their clinical relevance and prevalence, preceded by information regarding both the preparation and execution of the tests and the clinical importance of the information that can be acquired. The structure of the book is extremely didactic, easy to read, and full of content, being based on the writing of chapters that report everything that is important to know, without adding unnecessary frills.

More precisely, the volume has 231 pages, enriched with over 100 illustrations of great explanatory value, both as diagrams and as figures that well represent emblematic clinical cases (more than 115), relating to the most important and frequent pathologies. The length of the following 12 chapters is variable, being linked to the relevance of the topic: (1) General Principles in Pediatric Nuclear Medicine, (2) Central Nervous System: The Brain and Cerebro-Spinal Fluid, (3) Cardiovascular System, (4) Pulmonary System, (5) Thyroid, (6) Digestive Tract, (7) Liver and Spleen, (8) Genitourinary Tract, (9) Lymphoscintigraphy, (10) Musculoskeletal System (Non-Oncologic Indications), (11) Infection and Inflammation Imaging, (12) Pediatric Malignancies.

After the preliminary general introduction, all the chapters are structured to provide clinical indications, including technical issues concerning radiopharmaceuticals’ preparation and administration and also involving additional tests, study protocol and interpretation, and correlative imaging. Each case is accompanied by patient history, study report, and impression. Of particular didactic interest is the inclusion of red flag warnings and take-home message sections to emphasize important points.

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access. In this sense, it is certainly a productive gift for all those who are interested in the subject, including physicians, technicians, nurses, and other professionals working in nuclear medicine, as well as pediatricians, imaging diagnosticians, oncologists, and other clinicians interested in understanding the indications of nuclear medicine in the field.

Furthermore, I strongly suggest that all directors of a diagnostic imaging or pediatrics division acquire a paper copy for the department library. Maybe it is age, but I still think that paper books have an added value that must continue to be preserved.