Perfect Petunias: The 'perfect' book for little perfectionists everywhere!
By (Author) Lynn Jenkins
Illustrated by Kirrili Lonergan
Exisle Publishing
EK Books
1st January 2018
New Zealand
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Physical and mental health condi
Childrens / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction
823.92
Paperback
32
Width 229mm, Height 305mm
275g
Loppy the Little Anxious Creature is very worried about not doing his homework well enough. He always focuses on what hes done wrong rather than right, and often becomes very frustrated with himself. In this book of encouragement for those little people who find it hard to make mistakes, Loppy learns that perfect means trying your best, and not worrying about getting things wrong.
To show Loppy that the best things happen when we dont try too hard to control everything, Curly Calmster takes him out to the garden, where gorgeous petunias are growing all over the place. The vibrant illustrations highlight the wild beauty of the flowers, and Loppy sees that by trying to control whether he makes mistakes or not, its as if hes trying to grow perfect petunias, which sounds pretty boring compared to this sprawling garden! Sometimes, he just needs to accept that things go their own way, and that perfect doesnt mean quite what he thought.
Perfect Petunias is the third book in the Lessons of a LAC series, which aims to give children ways to think about and manage common emotional difficulties. The passion of the author and illustrator make the series a valuable resource for every child to help guide their emotional development. This instalment is an entertaining and essential resource in shaping perfectionistic tendencies towards being more self-accepting and flexible.
There is a small block of text, on a large white background for easy reading and following, as well as brightly coloured pictures. These show purple petunias and a red stripy tail on Loppy. His message of Sometimes I can do what I can, then I need to let my petunias grow, is a wonderful catch phrase for those who struggle with not being perfect.
This is the third in a series to help Loppy the LAC (Little Anxious Creature) deal with his anxieties. in this case not being satisfied with anything that he sees as being less than perfect. Children like Loppy are present in every class. Helping them to see the glass half-full can lay the foundations for strong mental and emotional health in the future." -- Bottomshelf Edu Blog
Its easy to become frustrated when things dont turn out quite right, and this book is a great resource to help little people understand their feelings and how to deal with them. It also shows adults a positive way to respond to help their little person. * Reading Time *
"This is a terrific series built on the experience of the author, Lynn Jenkins, as a clinical psychologist and the illustrator, Kirrili Lonergan as a paediatric nurse. The characters are lovable, although total opposites. But their friendship works, and Curly supports Loppy through his various difficulties by suggesting strategies to alleviate his concerns." -- Kid's Book Review
For kids who need to learn perfect just means trying your best .
Lynn Jenkins is a clinical psychologist, author and mother of three. She is passionate about early intervention in the social and emotional development of children, and has written several childrens books on such topics. Kirrili Lonergan is a childrens book illustrator, art therapist and mother of four. She has illustrated several picture books as well as creating designs for clothes, prints and pottery. She is passionate about illustrating picture books that have a healing message.