The Perfect Place

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.

Author: Matt de la Peña
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Published: 05/07/2024
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 11.20h x 8.90w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780593325636

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/12/2024
Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2024
Booklist 05/01/2024 pg. 55
School Library Journal 07/12/2024 pg. 1
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2024 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Matt de la Peña is the Newbery Medal-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street. He is also the author of the award-winning picture books Patchwork, Milo Imagines the World, Carmela Full of Wishes, Love,
and A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, as well as a number of critically acclaimed young adult novels. Matt teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country. You can visit Matt at mattdelapena.com, or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @mattdelapena.

Paola Escobar is a graphic designer and illustrator from Colombia. She is the illustrator of the picture books Giant-Sized Butterflies on My First Day of School; Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré; Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built; and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, as well as the middle grade Pages & Co. series. Follow her on Instagram @paoesco8ar.