Not Perfect
$18.99 USD
hardcover
From the creators of Not Little, the intrepid Dot is back with an endearing story about embracing the mistakes that let us build new skills.
Dot is good at a lot of things, but good isn’t perfect. Perfect is her sister’s blue-ribbon painting, or her brothers’ first-place tie in the spelling bee, or her mom’s black belt in tae kwon do. Dot tries and tries, but all she has to show for it is funny-looking cupcakes, off-key piano squeaks, and almost-goals in soccer. Nothing she does is perfect.
When Dot and her classmates get an assignment to make a poster about a person they admire, Dot has someone in mind right away: her best friend, Sam. But draft after draft comes out looking all wrong! How will she ever make the perfect poster for her perfect friend?
Fans of Dot and Sam and new readers alike will melt as Dot keeps on trying in this relatable companion to Not Little, featuring Maya Myers’s effortless narrative voice and Hyewon Yum’s irresistible illustrations.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Maya Myers is a debut picture book author as well as a freelance book editor and a former elementary school teacher. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, author/illustrator Matt Myers, and three daughters.
Hyewon Yum is the author and illustrator of several acclaimed books for children, including This Is Our House, The Twins' Blanket, There Are No Scary Wolves, and Last Night. Her book Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten! received the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.
"First-person narration effectively conveys a child’s insecurities, and it deftly explores the mutual admiration in young friendships to reinforce both stick-to-itiveness and embracing imperfections. Yum’s colored pencil linework, saturated waxy textures, and expressive rounded style on negative space all carry the same airy, playful energy as the book’s indomitable protagonist."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"This second book about Dot gives the realistic-seeming child plenty of support from nonjudgmental adults, providing time and space to solve her own problems—and without the pressure of perfection."—The Horn Book
"Kids struggling with perfectionism will learn a valuable lesson."—Kirkus Reviews
Please select all options.