Clara's Gift - Reviews

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 Time s
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 food 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.