Earclaw and Eddie

“Like most terrible odd things, it came from nowhere and it started very small,” writes newcomer Miller in a playful allegory about anxiety and depression, albeit one more likely to resonate with adults than children. Eddie, a working-age man, wakes up one morning to find a one-eyed, toothy purple monster resting on his head, its hands clasped tightly on either side of his face. Earclaw is always with Eddie—at home, at the office, and on vacation. While the situation is comical, Miller gives Eddie an increasingly beleaguered appearance that also conveys the extent of his suffering; Earclaw is also the only spot of color in the otherwise b&w cartoons. Eventually, a child helps Eddie realize that he isn’t the only one with baggage—a full-color scene in a public park reveals humans beset by spiky, tentacled monsters that symbolize secret cravings, physical pain, loneliness, and other afflictions not necessarily visible to the naked eye. Despite the overarching focus on adult characters and concerns, Miller’s message, one of accepting the difficulties life presents, can be grasped by readers of any age. All ages. (BookLife)