Not Perfect

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 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

Author: Maya Myers
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 04/02/2024
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.06h x 10.08w x 0.47d
ISBN: 9780823451708
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 2.4
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 554729 / Not Perfect


Review Citation(s):
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2023
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2023
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2024 pg. 73
Booklist 03/29/2024
School Library Journal 05/03/2024 pg. 1
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2024 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Maya Myers is an author, a freelance book editor, and a former elementary school teacher. Her debut picture book Not Little, also illustrated by Hyewon Yum, was an ALSC Notable Children's Book and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. 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. Her titles include This Is Our House, The Twins' Blanket, There Are No Scary Wolves, Last Night, winner of an Honorable Mention Bologna Ragazzi Award and an SCBWI Golden Kite Award, and Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!, which received the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award. She is also the illustrator of Maya Myers's Not Little. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.