Pearla and her Unpredictably Perfect Day: A story about how a sprinkling of mistakes can be a recipe for success - Hardcover

Lieberman, Rochel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1785927345 ISBN 13: 9781785927348

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016

Synopsis

Pearla loves to bake! Her favourite foods are cookies and cupcakes, which she sells at her dad's bakery. She always tries very hard to make her baking absolutely perfect, but one day Pearla is so busy that she makes a huge mistake! Have fun with Pearla as she learns how to adapt when her day doesn't go to plan and realises it could turn out to be pretty perfect after all.

This is a scrumptious tale for children aged 4-12, particularly those who experience anxiety or developmental issues. It demonstrates that you can't succeed unless you try and that it's ok to make mistakes. Pearla's strategies for solving her problems will help children to overcome their own hurdles.

About this title

About the Author

Lloyd Jones is a silly man with a silly beard who lives in the south of England. More of his work can be seen atwww.lloydjonesillustration.com. Lloyd has a first class honours degree in Illustration from the University of Portsmouth, an MA in Sequential Design and Illustration from the University of Brighton and he is currently working on a PGCE FE from the University of Southampton.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Every Sunday, Pearla skips down the block to her dad's bakery to make cookies and cupcakes. She prides herself on their excellent quality and performs each task just so. But one day, she forgets to add baking powder. The cupcakes come out like squares; the round circle cookies, triangles. Pearla feels awful but calms herself by making a plan: she will sell these goods at half-price. The first customers to arrive are a family who love triangles. They adore the "imperfect" cookies, which are "perfect for us." The following shoppers turn up their noses at the cupcakes. Pearla feels embarrassed and sad, but she reminds herself that "I did my best and feel so thankful for the rest." The next customer loves squares and is thrilled by the cupcakes. In the end, Pearla learns that "maybe, just maybe, it's okay to make mistakes." As a picture book, the story is implausible. However, its main purpose is to illustrate cognitive processes to control fear and change behavior. As a tool for handling anxiety and perfectionism, it works well. The somewhat naive cartoon illustrations are a cut above those in other titles in this vein. Pearla's feelings are labeled and color-coded: pink for positive, purple for negative. Discussion questions and an afterword from a psychiatrist are included. VERDICT Most useful as a resource for teachers, counselors, and parents of children who struggle with perfectionism and anxiety.—Suzanne Myers Harold, formerly at Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR

Edition details

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1785927345
• ISBN 13: 9781785927348
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jones Anthony Lloyd
• Number of pages: 40