A Kid's Picture Book
Written by Theresa Loo
Illustrated by Beverly Arce
OVERVIEW
Theresa Loo's delightful debut Perfect has been named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023 and is a heartwarming story about finding an ideal pet for one's family and making a new friend.
Perfect is about an old shelter cat named Scruff who's been left behind because of his age, weight and the scar on his nose.
As the years pass, Scruff's afraid he'll never find a home, but one day a little girl named Parker comes along and everything changes.
She doesn't think Scruff is old, she thinks he's wise.
She doesn't mind his weight because it's more for her to hug.
And she doesn't mind his scar because she thinks it means he's tough...just like her.
Beverly Arce's (Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man from Marvel and Disney+) expressive illustrations are an excellent match for Theresa Loo's delightful story about seeing the beauty in someone that no one else can see. Scruff and Parker's heartwarming friendship reminds us that sometimes "perfect" is something you didn't expect.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023
Perfect is about an old shelter cat named Scruff who's been left behind because of his age, weight and the scar on his nose.
As the years pass, Scruff's afraid he'll never find a home, but one day a little girl named Parker comes along and everything changes.
She doesn't think Scruff is old, she thinks he's wise.
She doesn't mind his weight because it's more for her to hug.
And she doesn't mind his scar because she thinks it means he's tough...just like her.
Beverly Arce's (Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man from Marvel and Disney+) expressive illustrations are an excellent match for Theresa Loo's delightful story about seeing the beauty in someone that no one else can see. Scruff and Parker's heartwarming friendship reminds us that sometimes "perfect" is something you didn't expect.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023
PRAISE FOR PERFECT
From Kirkus Reviews
An older cat finds his forever home in Loo's picture book.
Scruff has been living at the animal shelter for a long time, watching as other cats go home with new people. When the shelter has its annual adoption day, Scruff tries to impress prospective owners by singing, dancing, trying to look younger and skinnier, and even attempting to hide the scar on his face. Still, no one wants him—until young Parker walks into the shelter and proclaims Scruff to be her choice. Her mother objects, but the girl has an answer for each issue: "But he is so old...." "Then he will be WISE." In short, Parker thinks Scruff is "perfect." After years of wondering what it would be like to live with a family, Scruff discovers that it's "better than he ever could have dreamed." The story ends with snapshots of Parker, Scruff, and Mom having adventures together. Arce's softly colored illustrations are delightful, giving Scruff a wonderfully expressive face. The art is an excellent match for Loo's equally delightful story, which never asks readers to pity Scruff; instead, it shows him as a loving pet who just needed to find someone who saw him, quite rightly, as special. Parker and her mom are portrayed as Asian; other adopters are shown with a variety of skin tones.
An excellent book on finding an ideal pet for one's family.
Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023
Praise for Perfect
"Delightful... wonderfully expressive... An excellent book on finding an ideal pet for one's family." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review and named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023.
"Beautifully written and illustrated, with a great message about being loved for who you are." —Giancarlo Volpe, Emmy-winning producer and director of The Dragon Prince and Avatar: The Last Airbender
"A heartwarming and wonderfully illustrated story about finding a place where you belong." —Lynn Wang, director of Thelma the Unicorn and co-executive producer of Unikitty!
"Acceptance of our own individuality is celebrated in this uplifting tale of found family." —Victoria Ying, Harvey-winning author of Hungry Ghosts and acclaimed illustrator of Moana, Tangled and Frozen
"Perfect is a charming and engaging debut with captivating illustrations and a beautiful message." —Morgan Matson, New York Times bestselling author
An older cat finds his forever home in Loo's picture book.
Scruff has been living at the animal shelter for a long time, watching as other cats go home with new people. When the shelter has its annual adoption day, Scruff tries to impress prospective owners by singing, dancing, trying to look younger and skinnier, and even attempting to hide the scar on his face. Still, no one wants him—until young Parker walks into the shelter and proclaims Scruff to be her choice. Her mother objects, but the girl has an answer for each issue: "But he is so old...." "Then he will be WISE." In short, Parker thinks Scruff is "perfect." After years of wondering what it would be like to live with a family, Scruff discovers that it's "better than he ever could have dreamed." The story ends with snapshots of Parker, Scruff, and Mom having adventures together. Arce's softly colored illustrations are delightful, giving Scruff a wonderfully expressive face. The art is an excellent match for Loo's equally delightful story, which never asks readers to pity Scruff; instead, it shows him as a loving pet who just needed to find someone who saw him, quite rightly, as special. Parker and her mom are portrayed as Asian; other adopters are shown with a variety of skin tones.
An excellent book on finding an ideal pet for one's family.
Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023
Praise for Perfect
"Delightful... wonderfully expressive... An excellent book on finding an ideal pet for one's family." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review and named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2023.
"Beautifully written and illustrated, with a great message about being loved for who you are." —Giancarlo Volpe, Emmy-winning producer and director of The Dragon Prince and Avatar: The Last Airbender
"A heartwarming and wonderfully illustrated story about finding a place where you belong." —Lynn Wang, director of Thelma the Unicorn and co-executive producer of Unikitty!
"Acceptance of our own individuality is celebrated in this uplifting tale of found family." —Victoria Ying, Harvey-winning author of Hungry Ghosts and acclaimed illustrator of Moana, Tangled and Frozen
"Perfect is a charming and engaging debut with captivating illustrations and a beautiful message." —Morgan Matson, New York Times bestselling author
