I CaN SeE It With My
ElePHaNt EYe
by Paola Somaini
This is a painting I made of the virus. As you can see it’s very cute and magical but it’s actually nasty because it kills people and also you cannot see it moving around so you never know where it is. And this is a
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The virus is like a cute colourful ball. But how can I see it? Where is it? It could be here, or it could be there‌ it could be everywhere or it could be nowhere‌ 13
But I want to be honest and tell you also about my fears. As I said, this is something that I was thinking about even before this virus, but somehow now I feel more the need to write and tell you all about them.
Here are my fears.
I tried to do a painting of all my fears but I am not sure if I have done a good job. This painting is pretty and colourful and the fears are ugly and dark. Anyway, I wanted some colour on this page that otherwise was going to make me feel too sad and worried.
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But a rainbow maybe also tells me that this virus has put all my fears together in one big bundle and so made them all more intense? Sometimes it is hard to disentangle them and see what it is that is worrying me in the moment. But again, this is life and I felt this even before the virus. Maybe this virus is not changing me so much? Rainbow colours melting into each other and becoming all messy‌
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The full proceeds of the sale of this book will go to place2be (www.place2be.org.uk), a charity dedicated to providing counselling and emotional support to children in schools.
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Carolina is a young girl who wants to tell her story. She invites you into her colourful life, where she paints and plays. Suddenly the virus comes… and so Carolina decides to go on a journey inside herself. She feels let down by the grown-ups who don’t seem to be able to speak openly to her about what is going on. An elephant becomes her friend and companion on this journey so her eyes become the eyes of this elephant who is adorable and wise because he always tells the truth… and telling the truth about one’s fears and worries is what matters most. "A very comforting book! It made me happy to know that I am not the only one who is afraid of my fears. It is one of the best books you can read right now because it can make you feel less worried." Honor, 9 years old
"This tender and sensitive piece of writing, stunningly illustrated, will help us all to feel much better during this scary time of the coronavirus." Professor Brett Kahr Senior Fellow, Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology, London
"This wonderful and brave book is able to talk to both children and parents about the pandemic. It’s an emotional story told in the lightest shimmering way. A jewel of a children’s story and a psychoanalytic book too."
"This compelling children’s story describes fears and worries common to us all. Colours, images and words come together to bring these fears alive in a vivid, playful and also comforting way. "
Dr Jonathan Sklar Training Analyst, British Psychoanalytic Society
Angela Joyce, Adult & Child Psychoanalyst, Chair of The Winnicott Trust
About the Author Paola Somaini is an Italian Psychoanalyst living in London. This is her first children’s book. mail@paolasomaini.com
Illustrations by Paola Somaini, Lily Tugendhat and Eva Tugendhat Book design by Merran Bowe Text ©2020 Paola Somaini Illustrations ©2020 Paola Somaini The book is available to purchase in hard copy on Amazon and Lulu Publishing. The full proceeds of the sale will go to place2be (www.place2be.org.uk), a charity dedicated to providing counselling and emotional support to children in schools.
9781716807688