Some Thoughts on Eli the Bipolar Bear

After receiving the book a few weeks ago and showing it to some of my friends (some bipolar and some with other psyc diagnoses) & my therapist I thought I would share our comments.

1. I had a problem with the fact that Eli's psychologist is the "Wise Old Bear," a male, then one of my male friends made a quick comment on feminism, but I can't help it, I read feminist blogs and I've had experiences with so many different shrinks over the last 2 decades (9, 3 male and 6 female, ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s) that I have a very strong personal opinion on what I like. So way to perpetuate a sterotype...
2. AC said she didn't mind the "Wise Old Bear" thing so much, but Eli's medication is termed "special tasty little fish," which hit me as cute at first, he's a polar bear and there's this Rx label on the bucket of fish, but I can see what she's saying about how we present the idea of medication to little children.
3. CM commented on the fact that at the end of the book, it was presented as almost like after just a few weeks Eli was perfectly fine, and the world just does not work like that. To paraphrase what another friend once said, the road to remission is 2 steps forward and 1 step back.
   
4. My therapist thinks that the book is GREAT and that the pictures are GREAT and are what make the book. They are what will capture kids' attention. She also brought up something I had not thought of which is that kids' are more receptive of cute furry animals as opposed to if Eli were a human boy. They find books about kids going through stuff more boring. Really???
5. We both wonder why I had to get it interlibrary loaned from all the way in Norfolk Va and why there aren't more libraries that carry such an important book. Interlibrary loan ships from the closest library and Norfolk is hours away.
6. Lastly I think it's cool that the author of the book has a degree in Family & Child Development. So cool that I even shared it with my class. When you discuss careers that family studies majors are qualified for after graduation, no one ever mentions children's book author.