Book Description
for My Travelin' Eye by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
A young girl with amblyopia finds that she sees the world differently from those around her. For Jenny Sue the challenge comes neither in having an eye that wanders nor in the teasing that comes with it, but in dealing with the plan to “fix” her wayward pupil. When her mother takes her to an ophthalmologist, he puts a patch over Jenny Sue’s other eye and her sense of self becomes diminished along with her line of vision. But with her mother’s help and some creativity, she soon turns the patch into colorful expressions of her way of seeing the world. Doing so helps her realize that she hasn’t lost her unique sense of perspective, even if her vision is changing. When the doctor removes the patch and announces that her “lazy eye” has woken up, Jenny Sue knows it was really awake all along. But she also realizes, “My travelin’ eye had grown stronger. And more confident. I think it just needed some special attention.” Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw’s picture book is based on her own childhood experience. The author/illustrator’s vivid, upbeat story is accompanied by bright, colorful illustrations that speak to the young protagonist’s optimistic outlook on the world. (Ages 4–8)
CCBC Choices 2009. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2009. Used with permission.