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Our
appealing young narrator struggles to understand her mother's
unpredictable behavior. Sometimes she is smiling so Annie goes happily
off to school with her friends. But then Annie may come home to find an
angry face on a shouting, frightening mother. Fortunately she has a
grandmother who helps her cope. From her and from her friends Annie can
"find sunshine" in her mind. Without being didactic, the story presents
the all-too-commonmentally ill parent in a way to help a child and her
friends understand. Lewis [illustrator] visualizes this emotional drama
with naturalistic watercolor portraits of the players in settings that
begin bright and sunnybut emphasize shadows when Mommy is upset…An
introductory "Author's Note" gives further details on mental illness and
coping strategies. Ages 5 to 9
--Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
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