THE PATCH

Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is an unlikely hook to hang a story on, but since nearly five percent of children experience the condition, and may feel a twinge of discomfort regarding its treatment, the time has definitely come for this issue. Headley’s heroine, Rebecca, makes the best of her eye patch. When her curious classmates ask her about the patch—fortunately they are not a cruel bunch—she tells them she’s a pirate and makes a game of it. When they persist, she becomes a private eye (cannily shifting into the singular) or a cyclopean monster, and Vane draws Rebecca lunging into her roles with brio and dash, and a good and scary face. Who knows—maybe eye patches will become accessorizing statements, but for an issue-driven offering, this one’s not bad. (Picture book. 5-8)