Clara's Gift From The Heart

By Mary-Kyle Douglas
Illustrations by Lisa Victoria

Hardcover: 32 pages
List Price: $17.95 
ISBN 0-9674602-9-8 
(Ages 4 - 8) 

 

Clara’s Gift From the Heart is a touching fairy tale of a little girl who learns a very big lesson. She finds her courage in an act of kindness that will help another child she will never meet. Parents will be thrilled to pass this lesson of generosity on to their children through this story.”
— Madonna Coffman, Locks of Love President

Tired of the pain-filled nights brushing stubborn snarls from her tangled tresses, Clara decides to go on strike – no more brushing! Soon, strange creatures begin to take residence in her hair, and they turn her hair into an icky, sticky mess. 

Join Clara on her noble and elusive quest to find the courage she needs to brush her hair, and learn how a young fairy on a quest of her own helps Clara find courage in the most unlikely of places – her heart. Finding her courage not only benefits Clara. Her courage also helps two young girls with bigger challenges than Clara could ever have imagined.

Praise for "Clara's Gift From The Heart"
A charming tale of the young woman Clara and her decision to persist in the endless and tiresome task of brushing her hair, Clara's Gift From The Heart by Mary Douglas is illustrated by Lisa Victoria. Deftly carrying young readers through the creatively original picturebook story, Clara's Gift From The Heart tells of the creatures which soon inhabit Clara's hair as she must build up her courage to finally brush her disgusting hair. With the inclusion of a fun collection of intriguing characters, Clara's Gift From The Heart is very highly recommended reading for children ages 5 to 8 searching for an entertaining, exciting, and encouraging tale of courage, friendship, and faithfulness. - Midwest Book Review

Occasionally a children’s book is written to aid a cause and, in the case of Clara’s Gift from the Heart, the cause is Locks of Love, a group that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under 18 who have experienced long-term hair loss due to medical reasons. Written by Mary-Kyle Douglas and illustrated by Lisa Victoria ($17.95, Blue Marlin Publications) this story is an amusing tale of a young girl with long, beautiful hair who decides she doesn’t want to put up with having it brushed every night. The result is that all manner of things get stuck in it and even her friends begin to make fun of her. After learning about Locks of Love, she decides to get her hair cleaned and cut short so she can donate it. A portion of the sale of the book goes to the group. - Bookviews.com

Article in The Milton Times
Author Writes "From The Heart" - “Clara’s Gift From the Heart” is the story of a little girl named Clara (inspired by Ms. Douglas’ 9-year-old daughter Kyle, though the illustrations “look nothing like her”) who hates the pain of having her long, thick hair brushed so much that one day she just stops altogether. Time passes and her hair starts to gather bluemarlin and creatures. After a visit from a wise fairy godmother who tells her to find her courage, she comes up with the idea of getting her hair cut short, and donating it to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to illness.