I Can See Just Fine by E. Barclay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G2QC80Abstract
Barclay, Eric. I Can See Just Fine. New York, NY:, Abrams Appleseed, 2013. Print.
Paige is a little girl who really needs glasses, but doesn’t know it. Her teachers and her mum and dad notice that she is having trouble with her vision, but when her parents decide to take her to the eye doctor, she’s not keen on going.
Young readers will follow Paige as she goes for her eye examination and through the process of choosing frames. They will witness the dramatic change in how Paige sees the world when she finally gets her new glasses. I Can See Just Fine gives children get a sense of what to expect if they need glasses, ranging from what they will encounter during a visit to the optometrist or ophthalmologist, to the clinic environment, to the equipment and procedures, to being fitted for lenses and frames.
Author and illustrator, Eric Barclay, crafts a story that is engaging, humorous, and instructive. His text and artwork highlights the fun and fascinating aspects of the eye exam and frame selection process. Barclay includes many details that draw in the reader and make reading and re-reading the story enjoyable, weaving humorous details around the central issue of Paige’s vision impairment. He employs two-page spreads at strategic points in the story, in one case representing the vast array of frames for Paige to select, and in another communicating the dramatic contrast between what Paige sees with and without her new glasses.
I Can See Just Fine is a story that will entertain and educate young readers, and help children to feel less anxious about having their vision assessed and corrected. The story’s text and illustrations include subtle details that will appeal to older readers or to parents/older siblings reading the book to young children.
Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: Maria Tan
Maria C. Tan is a medical librarian at the Abdul Khaliq Library in Alberta Health Services’ Cross Cancer Institute and a former editorial team member of the Deakin Review. She firmly believes that children's literature is an essential component in the fountain of youth.
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