My Travelin' Eye

"When I was born, I came out looking both ways," begins this autobiographical picture-book from author/artist Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, which explores the experience of living with strabismic amblyopia, or a "lazy eye," a condition in which the eyes are misaligned. Describing her right eye as the navigator and counter, and her left eye as the artist and color appreciator, young Jenny Sue is at first reluctant to see the ophthalmologist. When he prescribes glasses and an eye patch, in order to strengthen her weak right eye, she is even more resistant, especially when her unusual appearance leads to teasing at school. Then her mother, who always seems to know what to do, steps in, and the eye patch becomes a cool (and ever-changing) art show more project.

My Travelin' Eye is a book I might not have picked up, had it not been recommended by a friend who is acquainted with its creator. I'm so glad that it was - thanks, Jude! - as I enjoyed both story and artwork a great deal. The author clearly understands the experience of living with this condition, and she communicates the realities of that experience to her young readers in a story that is both entertaining and emotionally engaging. Her mixed-media artwork, created with acrylics, crayon, pencil, collage and tissue paper, is lots of fun, with plenty of little details that add to the story. Recommended to young children who have amblyopia, to children who know someone with visions problems, and more generally, to anyone who appreciates beautiful and creative picture-book art. show less

I loved this book! I developed a "lazy eye" when I was 2, and had to have corrective surgery due to the severity of the issue. Many people don't know that if you don't correct a lazy eye, you can go blind in that eye. It is a serious issue, and I am so happy to see a book for children about it. I wish this book had been around when I was little. Just like Jenny Sue, I had to wear a patch with thick glasses, and it was hard to see. I remember the patches and I remember being in the hospital after the surgery. This story was great for so many reasons, but mainly because it shows how cruel kids can be- they called her names, made her feel sad and ugly. I loved that her mom made her the special patch and then they decorated her glasses show more too!! My mother tried to make a game out of the patch, and my aunt gave me a doctor bag(for kids) so I wouldn't be scared in the hospital. Jenny Sue is very brave, and I love that this book explains in very simple terms, what "strabismus amblyopia" is- it's just a Travelin' Eye!! show less

Jenny Sue has a travelin' eye and she is not ashamed of this. She in fact thinks it is what sets her apart and makes her different from the others, One day, she is taken to the ophthalmologist and he tells her that she has a lazy eye and it needs to be woken up! This story follows Jenny Sue as she goes on an adventure to help her sight. She has to now wear a patch over her good eye and glasses to strengthen her left eye and to be able to see. Students start to make fun of Jenny Sue and she discovers a new way to spice up her style. After a while of this new look, she goes back to the doctor and her eye is no longer lazy! Although her treatment is done, she still has to wear the glasses.
This book is a great way to show students how to show more embrace what makes you different. As long as you like what you see in the mirror that is all that matters. I think this was a great, quirky outlook on something that is actually so very common! show less

An upbeat look at how a creative little girl copes with vision problems and the challenge of being different. Jenny Sue was born with a “wandering eye.” Instead of looking in the same direction at the same time, her eyes look in different directions. One eye sees numbers and acts as her navigator; her other, travelin’ eye sees colors and is an “adventurer” reminding her to look around—sometimes a little too much. Her teacher suggests she should see an ophthalmologist to “fix” her eye so “it wouldn’t stare out the window.” Dr. Dave confirms that Jenny Sue has a lazy eye that needs to wake up, so he puts a plain patch over her good eye and gives her enormous thick red glasses. Overwhelmed by her patch and glasses, show more Jenny Sue can’t seem to do anything right at school until her mother shows her how to design unique “fashion patches.” Original multimedia illustrations provide a humorous look at the amazing world of irrepressible Jenny Sue, where the eyes definitely have it. (Picture book. 4-7)

-Kirkus Review show less

It was a joy reading this book for many reasons. Jenny Sue was born with a wondering eye or "lazy eye" that she likes to call her traveling eye. "But i prefer to call it a travelin' eye because everywhere it goes.. I follow." After visiting the ophthalmologist, she learns that she has to wear an eye patch for her travelin' eye. First, I liked how this book pushes readers to gain insight on individuals with vision impairments, as well as take into account that everyone has feelings. Jenny was made fun of in school because she wore an eyepatch. "The next morning, I told my mom how sad I felt. I told her I didn't ever want to go back to school." Jenny's mom encouraged her to get creative and personalize her eye patch. Soon all the kids at show more school wanted to wear a "fashion-patch". Secondly, the illustrations in the book enhanced the story. The illustrations covered the entire page and they were a mix of collages, watercolors, and ink/pencil drawings. Every page you turned was different. Lastly, the writing style in this book was very engaging in the way it aligned with the text. "And up and down", on this sentence the text was displayed like it was actually moving up and down. I believe the overall message of this story is to embrace your differences because they make you unique. show less

In my opinion this is a great book that deals with the topic of strabismus, also know as a "lazy eye". The language of the book was very clear and concise and the author played around with many different fonts or positioning of the text throughout the story. The writing was engaging and well written and the illustrations enhanced the text with fun colors and creative materials to put pictures together. The main character Jenny Sue is very relatable to any child who has had this disability. The insecurity that comes with wearing an eye-patch and the teasing that comes from your peers is evident in the beginning of the story. However, Jenny Sue then turns her eye-patch into a fashion statement and soon all the kids are wanting an show more eye-patch just like hers. Once her patch is removed, she carries on her fashion statement by decorating her eyeglasses as well and soon all the kids are wanting to have them too. The book pushes readers to overcome obstacles and inspire others just like Jenny Sue does in this story with her disability. show less

Out of all the books on disability I have read, this one has by far been my favorite. Most of the disability related books I’ve read have had little to no plot and have put disability on display as opposed to integrating it into the story. The thing I like best about this book is that although it is primarily about disability, it portrays it in an extraordinarily positive manner. The book is about a girl with a lazy eye who needs to wear an eye patch to help correct it. Although she’s embarrassed about the eye patch at first, she soon learns that she can make it look cool by adorning it with different designs. All the kids love her eye patch at the end the story. Besides the fact that the main message in this book is great (how to show more make the best out of a seemingly negative situation,) the illustrations are also stellar. Their whimsical style matches the little girl’s personality perfectly and make the story colorful and enjoyable to read. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for someone else to read. show less