Blueberry Eyes is a charming, non-fiction children's book that addresses many aspects of eye treatment, such as wearing glasses, eye patches, or undergoing eye muscle surgery. Beautifully illustrated with lively, four-color illustrations on every page, the book also touches on many of the feelings that a child may experience about his or her eye treatment. Not only does it educate, but it reassures small patients and lets them identify with a heroine who is "just like me!"

Reviews and Commentary for Blueberry Eyes

"Blueberry Eyes is the engaging story of the trials and tribulations of Meaghan, who was born farsighted and eventually has to have eye muscle surgery at age six. Meaghan’s journey begins at birth and progresses through the fitting of her first pair of eye glasses at three months and through her struggle to learn how to use bifocals when she’s less than one year old."

"Despite Meaghan's disability, she feels good about herself, due at least in part to the wise and gentle guidance of her mother and other caring adults. Meaghan's mother tells her that her eyeglasses make her 'special.' A shopkeeper sees beyond Meaghan's thick glasses when she recognizes the beauty of her eyes and comments that they're as big and round as Maine blueberries. From that point on, Meaghan's family refers to her as 'Blueberry Eyes.' "

"This is an important book for any child facing surgery and a teaching story for those of us, who tend to take our health and faculties for granted. Blueberry Eyes is a practical guide, skillfully guised in story. It’s a parable about struggling with and triumphing over disability and how parents and other adults can help. It is an instructive guide about how unrealistic fears can be soothed by asking medical professionals detailed questions about procedure and prognosis."

"Ms. Beatty, the author, takes us inside the heart and mind of Meaghan, as her character investigates her feelings during each step of the process. We learn about how ‘awful’ it feels when Meaghan first awakens from surgery, the initial fear she has when she finds that the whites of her blueberry eyes have temporarily turned red and how for some time after the surgery, her eyes feel kind of scratchy. Physical descriptions, such as these, help set expectations and normalize children's fears."

"Little Meaghan takes the bad with the good and eventually triumphs - after her recovery, she claims that she’s still ‘special’ and that her blueberry eyes can see ‘perfectly’ now with glasses."

"Blueberry Eyes is beautifully illustrated by Peg Michel and includes a glossary of terms specific to vision problems. Although this book was written specifically for children with vision impairments, it could also serve as a tool for parents who want to give their children a greater sense of appreciation of their good health."

Laura Ramirez
Family Matters

J. Kevin Nugent, Founder and Director
Brazelton Center for Infants & Parents
Children's Hospital, Boston