Percy's Perfect Friend

4.0

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Author(s)

Lana Button

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Peggy Collins

Publisher Name

Pajama Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 11, 2023

ISBN13

978-1772782813

ISBN10 or ASIN

When Percy finds himself in a kindergarten classroom full of unfamiliar children, he can’t help but feel uncomfortable and alone—that is, until he meets a cuddly new friend: a plush cat he names Miss Petticomb.

When Percy’s new friend is picked up by other children, Percy cautiously sets out to find her. On his journey to retrieve Miss Petticomb, Percy must decide whether it is better to share his friend with his classmates or keep her all to himself. A plush cat, a tea party, and the uniting power of toys may be the secret to saving Miss Petticomb and bringing Percy out of his shell.

In Percy’s Perfect Friend, early childhood educator Lana Button celebrates the importance of toys in play, the power they have to help children practice social skills, language skills, and imagination, and their ability to bring children together. ALA Schneider Honor Book Winner Peggy Collins captures Percy’s growth from uncertainty to confidence on his quest to save Miss Petticomb. He may just be surprised at the new friends he makes along the way.

Editor review

1 review

Making New Friends is Hard

August 08, 2023

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Percy is apprehensive about starting at a new school, and is very shy. He keeps to himself, even though the children in the class seem perfectly nice, and finds a stuffed cat who comforts him. He names the cat "Miss Petticomb" and takes her everywhere with him, but when he sets her down to draw, another student picks her up. Percy looks for his new friend, only to find her taken away to a tea party. He approaches the girl who has appropriated his friend, but she maintains she is having a party for the cat because it is her birthday. The two eventually come to an agreement and are able to share. Percy makes some new friends, and is able to enjoy school a bit more.

Good Points

There is a note at the end of the book about how "play is child's work", and how "entering play" is a skill that some children need to acquire. I am guessing that many children who were at a critical developmental stage for social interaction during the pandemic would benefit from a book like this to reinforce social skills that might be lacking.

The children in the school so some diversity, and I appreciated that Percy was wearing glasses, and there was a boy in a play kitchen wearing an apron.

The story is sweet enough to entice children who don't want to share or make friends, and really, if there is cake involved, who DOESN'T want to make new friends? Encourage a young readers to be a bit bolder when approaching others my adding this book to a pile that includes Duck and Penguin Are Not Friends by Julia Woolf, A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey and Mika Song and Louise and Andie: The Art of Friendship by Kelly Light.