PETUNIA THE PERFECTIONIST

In Bader’s picture book, a new nickname invites a new perspective.

Petunia is a little girl who believes that everything has its proper place and that anything done less than perfectly is unacceptable. (“If there was one thing Petunia knew, it was the importance of being PERFECT.”) Petunia has never heard of a “perfectionist,” but when she overhears her classmate call her one, she looks up the word in the dictionary and proudly shares her new nickname with her mother at home. Petunia isn’t convinced when her mother tells her that there are benefits to making mistakes…until the unthinkable happens and Petunia makes a mistake herself. Encouraged by her teacher and her classmates, this aha moment helps her understand what her mom meant. Bader’s engaging text misses an opportunity: While highlighting the word mistake in red likely represents Petunia’s attitude toward imperfections, it reinforces her aversion when another color would have better supported the book’s theme of mistakes promoting growth. The images of Petunia’s fastidiously organized coloring pencils and books in Beykzadeh’s illustrations highlight her perfectionism and the book’s warm color palette. When other characters are depicted in shadow form, Petunia’s hyperfocus is made distinct. Figuring prominently throughout, the color purple cleverly chimes with the alliterative title.

Playing a wrong note strikes the right chord for a determined little girl in this winning children’s story.