PETEY PERFECTPANTS AND THE SILLY SOCK PUPPET PROBLEM

An elementary-school aged child learns there is a time and place for perfection in Vee’s picture book.

Petey is practically perfect in every way. His etiquette is immaculate, his cleanliness is next to godliness, and he always follows the rules. The only problem is that Petey doesn’t know how to make friends. So, he decides to craft one out of a sock and random decorative items. Unfortunately, it’s a failed endeavor: “His new pal didn’t look perfect at all. It just looked silly!” Petey puts the sock away for the night, but when he wakes up in the morning, it’s stuck on his hand. Problems arise immediately: the puppet makes him late to school, interrupts his class, lets out a huge burp during lunch, and even tanks Petey’s spelling test. When he’s finally sent out for disciplinary action, the principal suggests that the chaotic pair enter the school talent show. Following Vee’s Professor Nincompoop (2024), this story is silly on the surface but carries a serious message. The story never shames Petey for striving for excellence nor plays him for a victim. Wilkinson’s colorful art—there’s a full-page spread of Petey trying to flush the puppet down the toilet—often varies its perspective and framing, including legible, larger-than-life sound effects that reflect the sock puppet’s unpredictable behavior.

A tastefully funny but instructive picture book perfect for early elementary schoolers.