The Patch
Kindergarten-Grade 2–What could have been a saccharine and didactic message book about accepting differences is, instead, a lovely and surprising story that will certainly be enjoyed as a read-aloud. Beccas doctor discovers that shes got a lazy eye and needs a patch and glasses to strengthen her eyesight. The five-year-old is worried that the other students will think she looks stupid so, to boost her confidence, her older brother lends her his favorite pirate costume to go with her purple glasses and bright pink patch (this girl is clearly partial to pink). The bold hues in the cartoonlike watercolors reinforce Beccas and her classmates energy. The students are fascinated as she plays Becca the Ballerina Pirate, Private Eye, and One-Eyed Monster before admitting the real reason for her patch. The illustrations dance off the pages, and Beccas exuberance shines through.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.