A Perfectly Messed-Up Story

by Patrick McDonnell (Author)

A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

In this interactive and engaging read-aloud, bestselling author and award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell creates a funny, engaging, and almost perfect story about embracing life's messes.

Little Louie's story keeps getting messed up, and he's not happy about it! What's the point of telling his tale if he can't tell it perfectly? But when he stops and takes a deep breath, he realizes that everything is actually just fine, and his story is a good one--imperfections and all.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Louie, one of McDonnell's adorable button-nosed creatures, is in the middle of his own story, singing happily when he notices some jelly on the pages. It's not just a drawing--the photographic blob looks very real, as if readers had spilled jelly on their own book. Then a splotch of peanut butter lands on Louie's head. "My story is getting all messed up!" he cries. A flurry of fingerprints, a splash of orange juice, and crayon scribbles soon follow. "This is the worst thing ever!" Louie wails, arms flailing wildly. The official-looking narration that starts and restarts as the book progresses ("This is Louie's story") turns out to be a kind of coach, an objective voice that urges Louie to take the long view. "I'm still here," he concludes. "You're still reading. And it is a pretty good story, messes and all." Louie's exaggerated reactions to the growing mess will trigger laughs with every page turn. Yet McDonnell (The Monster's Monster) excels at reminding his characters--and readers--that it's possible to keep it together even when life has jelly all over it. Ages 3-6. Agent: Henry Dunow, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Oct.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--Beloved Mutts comic-strip illustrator McDonnell brings children a story about how even the most perfect things can sometimes become...well, messed up. Louie sets out to tell his happy tale about skipping and singing when suddenly a jelly blob interrupts his cheerful narrative. This is soon followed by a peanut butter ("AUGH! The chunky kind!") mess. Louie is horrified that someone would treat his story so carelessly. As the mess builds, Louie becomes more and more anxious, until a really big mess causes him to give up. "I'm just a messy old book...no one will ever want, read, or love," he cries. He soon learns a wise lesson; it is the story that makes the book, not the mess. Life is not without imperfections, and neither are stories. Classic McDonnell pen, ink, and watercolor pastels blend with mixed-media and crayon messes to make this untidy tale a victory for unkempt books everywhere. Keep calm, and read on!--Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

* "Brilliant.... A playful, funny, and friendly treatment of anxiety and life's unpredictable messes."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Patrick McDonnell
Patrick McDonnell is the author and illustrator of many children's books including A Perfectly Messed-Up Story, The Monsters' Monster, The Gift of Nothing, Hug Time, and Me...Jane, a Caldecott Honor Book. He is also the creator of the internationally syndicated comic strip Mutts, which inspired his picture books The Gift of Nothing, Hug Time, and others. He lives in New Jersey.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316222587
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 07, 2014
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
Library of Congress categories
Books and reading

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