4 out of 4 stars
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Here's a riddle: what do PTSD and grizzly bears have in common?
Answer: A delightful children's book, The Grizzly Bear's Eyelash, by T. Jacira Paolino!
The Grizzly Bear's Eyelash begins with a woman named Miyaku visiting a witch, seeking a cure for her husband. He was once a loving, attentive man, but ever since he went to war he became cold, distant and easy to anger. She asks for a potion to fix him, to return him to the way he once was. The witch tells her she can make a potion, but she'll have to get an eyelash from a grizzly bear to make it. The eyelash won't work if she simply finds it, however, Miyaku actually has to pluck it herself!
The Grizzly Bear's Eyelash is a really intelligent book that approaches the effects of PTSD from a new point of view - instead of it being from the one who suffers from PTSD, it's from the wife's perspective. The book also really manages to drive home its message - what Miyaku has to go through to obtain the eyelash - in a great way while being an entertaining read. Also, while it's slightly heavier on words than many children's books, it's still short enough (less than 25 pages of alternating text and images) to easily be read in less than 10 or 20 minutes even while showing off the pictures.
What I liked most of all about this book was just how well it drove the moral home. The book also includes 13 discussion questions that continue the discussion on PTSD, family, endangered species and witches. I love a book that can be discussed, especially such a short one that can be shared with children, and this one encourages discussion in every way possible.
The artwork in the book is adorable as well. While the eyes are drawn a bit off proportion, the fact that the entire book was drawn by Alice Brake when she was only 14 years old really adds to the charm. The images appeared to be hand-colored with crayon, and there's even some shadow work and shading! I do wish the images were all oriented the same way, though - while it makes sense that some are portrait (vertical) some are landscape (horizontal), turning the kindle or iPhone repeatedly to get the most out of each image is slightly annoying.
The Grizzly Bear's Eyelash was the recipient of the second place (silver) award in the XXIV National 50 & Più competition for prose, and I can certainly see why. The book is absolutely worthy of 4 out of 4 stars, and I'd recommend it to anyone with kids, especially those who are related to or know someone who suffers from PTSD.
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The Grizzly Bear's Eyelash
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