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Summary
Summary
From the Newbery Medal-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street comes this moving picture book about the perils of perfectionism.
Lucas goes to the perfect school in the perfect neighborhood. And when he gets perfect grades, he feels like he fits right in.
But life at home is not so perfect. His dad's old work truck keeps breaking down. His mom works long hours at her job at the diner. And Lucas has to share his small room with his baby sister.
One night, Lucas is awakened by a strange light, which he follows all the way to the place where the perfect people live. Everything there is more beautiful than he could have imagined. But the longer Lucas stays, the more he wonders what it really means to be perfect. Does it mean never making mistakes? Does it mean rejecting his bustling neighborhood and his loving family? And what's so great about being perfect, anyway?
From award-winning talents Matt de la Peña and Paola Escobar comes this heartwarming, uplifting picture book about a boy, at home in two worlds, discovering what it means to be at home with himself.
Reviews: (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
When Lucas, portrayed with brown skin, receives a perfect score on his robot report, he floats "with his head held high." But his father's truck breaks down after school, the electricity at home is again shut off, and his mother rushes to work before he can show her the report. In his apartment bedroom, he considers the peeling paint and orange juice--stained rug. Later that night, a strange light lures Lucas down the fire escape and to a golden gate inside which "the perfect people lived" amid wide, bright streets, and where the mayor presents him with a Medal of Perfection for reciting his report. Then a boy in the crowd, who looks eerily like Lucas, causes an orange juice spill, resulting in silence and shame. The mayor speaks of healing after the incident, a uniformed crew cleanses the spot, people assure each other that "all could still be perfect in their perfect place"--and Lucas runs for his home, where authentic connection abounds. Digital illustrations by Escobar (A Plate of Hope) juxtapose the warmth of Lucas's metropolitan neighborhood against a brightly oppressive alternate realm as Newbery Medalist de la Peña weighs perfectionism against the messiness of real-life love--"the right kind of imperfect." Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Amy Kitcherside, Pickled Ink. (May)
Kirkus Review
In Newbery-winning author de la Peña's latest, a young Latine boy learns to appreciate what he has. Lucas is ecstatic when he gets a perfect score on his report on robots, but his thrill is short lived: His classmates stare when they see Lucas and his father pushing their stalled truck through the intersection, and the boy returns home to find the electricity has been shut off again. His mom heads to her shift at the diner before he can share his paper with her. Lucas falls asleep, only to be awakened by a strange light. Following it, he arrives at a seemingly perfect place. He and his robot report fit right in, but Lucas soon discovers that this world has no room for error when a boy who mysteriously looks just like him is expelled for spilling a glass of juice. Disenchanted, Lucas flees. Back at home, his family is waiting for him with words of encouragement, and Lucas realizes that however flawed his life might seem, it's just right for him. Filled with concrete details, this charming narrative highlights the unexpected joy of imperfections and invites readers to reconsider the notion of perfection. Textured digital illustrations draw visual parallels between Lucas' posh, suburban school and the so-called perfect world; though the boy's urban neighborhood and apartment may look comparatively shabby, homey details imbue it with a warmth that's lacking from the other settings. A gentle reminder of the genuine beauty found in life's wonderfully imperfect moments. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.