Not Perfect - by Maya Myers (Hardcover)

About the Book

Dot grows increasingly frustrated that she is not perfect at anything.

Book Synopsis

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
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

Review Quotes

"Dot's path to finding confidence and appreciating what matters will likely strike a chord, uplift, and reassure."--Booklist

"An sweet narrative promoting resilience and embracing imperfection, this is an amiable addition to the shelves."--School Library Journal

"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

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.