Objective To explore the effect of preoperative picture-book based dark adaptation training for school-aged children hospitalized in ophthalmology department. Methods Totally， 134 school-age children who were to receive elective eye surgery and hospitalized from December 2018 to January 2020 were selected and divided into an intervention group of 70 cases and a control group of 64 cases according to the order of admission time. The control group received routine preoperative care, while the intervention group additionally received picture book reading and dark adaptation training. Perioperative anxiety and adaptive behavior scores of the two groups were compared. Results The anxiety scores measured upon return to the ward in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group （P＜0.01）; the intervention group had higher cooperation scores in such post-operative activities as postoperative ECG monitoring, oxygen inhalation, relaxation with the presence of a covered eye, and urination, than the control group （P＜0.05，P＜0.01）. The intervention group children′s satisfaction rates with the props, methods, timing, contents and the picture book ,etc., used in the adaptation training were all ≥ 95%. Conclusion Picture-book based dark adaptation training can reduce anxiety level of children who are to receive elective eye surgery, improve children′s adaptability to postoperative darkness, and behavior compliance.