It's okay to fail as much as you want!
Encouragement for children with perfectionist tendencies

A picture book titled “I’m Not Perfect” has been published, which comforts the hearts of children who fear failure.
This is a picture book by Maya Myers, who deeply explores the concerns of children in their daily lives based on her experience as an elementary school teacher, and Hyewon Yeom, winner of the Bologna Ragazzi Award and the Ezra Jack Keats Award.
"I'm Not Perfect" deals with the anxiety within a child.
It focuses on the process in which the main character, Dot, who is tormented by the idea that he has to do everything perfectly, regains his self-esteem.
This is a story about a child who realizes that doing their best and enjoying the process is meaningful in itself and becomes positive about their own achievements.
It evokes empathy by depicting situations that a child with perfectionist tendencies is likely to experience frequently at home and at school.
Artist Yeom Hye-won richly conveys the diverse emotions and expressions of children through warm colored pencil drawings.
Lee Sang-hee, who has been writing and translating picture books for a long time, has translated the voices of children into vivid Korean.

A story that inspires courage to overcome anxiety and take on challenges.

Dot is quite good at many things, but he feels insecure about the fact that he is not 'perfectly' good at anything.
We compare ourselves to other families who have long-term care, and we become discouraged when the results fall short of our expectations.
Every time this happens, her family and teachers encourage her, telling her that she did well and that she is getting better.
While doing homework to draw a friend he wants to praise, Dot is dissatisfied with the drawing, so he keeps redrawing it and eventually ends up tearing the drawings to shreds.
After taking a quick breath of fresh air and venting all of her frustrations, Dot returns to collect scraps of paper to create a one-of-a-kind, special painting.


The next day at school, Dot and her friend Sam present their unique drawings of each other along with words of praise.
The sight of friends who understand each other's strengths and smile brightly is lovably depicted.
"I'm Not Perfect" offers children a way to accept themselves as they are.
Readers who empathize with Dot's heart and follow along will be able to break free from their obsession with results and define their own standards of perfection.

The most perfect moment created by an imperfect me
My own painting completed by collecting small pieces

Dot, who almost gave up on her homework, found the strength to start again because she received plenty of encouragement and support from the adults around her, and because she spent time reflecting on her own feelings while looking up at the sky through the trees bathed in sunlight.
Dot lets go of his anxiety about possibly ruining the drawing and starts focusing on the process rather than the result.
Just as the pieces that look like little dots come together to form a mosaic, Dot, who does his best at every moment, puts together pictures that he thought were imperfect to complete his own wonderful picture.
Dot, who knows how to cherish the feelings contained in her friends' work rather than judging them by their results, has grown up so much.

It is remarkable that Dot's first experience of positively recognizing her own achievements was through painting, that is, through 'art'.
Because art is an activity that cannot fail, each person has their own unique way.
The painting, which is completed through countless attempts, meaningfully conveys the theme of the work in itself.
This resonates with the artist's drawings made with colored pencils and provides a moving experience.
Yeom Hye-won, who has been drawing children with a warm gaze for nearly 25 years, portrays the lovely and lively appearance of children in “I’m Not Perfect” and gently embraces even negative emotions.

A picture book that builds self-esteem that couldn't be more perfect.

★ Dot's journey to find confidence and discover what truly matters will resonate with readers.
_ [Booklist]

★ A tender story that fosters resilience and acceptance of imperfection _ [School Library Journal]

★ Children struggling with perfectionism will learn a valuable lesson.
_ [Kirkus Review]