Perfect, words by Waka T. Brown, pictures by Yuko Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I first came across this book during a panel titled “Creating Picture Books” at the 2024 Portland Book Festival. I was interested in the subject matter but what ultimately swayed me to choose this panel over another one I was interested in was the fact Waka T. Brown was there. I remembered enjoying her book While I Was Away which I read in 2022. While at the panel, I had yet to read the book but as Waka read an excerpt to the audience I immediately knew I was buying the book.

The story is about Miki Amelia Masuda, a girl who prefers things to be neat and tidy. She can’t handle things like broken cookies, torn clothing, or missing parts. One day, Miki’s obaachan gives her a special teacup that Obaachan’s potter friend from Japan made. Only two of these beautiful, perfect teacups exist. Not too long after, Miki drops the teacup. Obaachan repairs the shattered cup and teaches Miki about the art of kintsugi, which means “to join together with gold.” Consequently, Miki comes to see things differently. Broken things do not make them any less precious or meaningful.

I immediately related to Miki because I was like her as a child.

My mom always tells me the story of how when I was around two or three I gave another child a soda. He drank it but, like most children, not in a very clean way. I freaked out because the kid was messy and needed a napkin. My mom had to hold me back and tell me to let his mom take care of it.

Even though I got over that particular phase, as I grew it turned into a different problem—perfectionism. It was the same practice of kintsugi, among other things, that helped me overcome it. Having high standards for oneself is not a bad thing, but it becomes a problem when we forget we are human and we make mistakes. No one except God is perfect.

I remember the moment its significance really stuck with me. I have a habit of collecting pretty leaves or flowers that I find and pressing them in my journal. There was a particular pressed leaf that I loved for its color and wanted to laminate it to further preserve it. As I carefully placed it on the laminating sheet, it cracked and a few pieces broke off. I was really disappointed, but after remembering kintsugi, I repositioned the pieces on the sheet and laminated it anyway. I kept it in my journal pocket as a reminder to myself. It was still beautiful.

Now, even when I find a mistake in a published book it makes me smile. It means that a human has touched it. Effort went into turning the book into the best version of itself, and I think that is beautiful. Even the most well-known manual of style, the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition), has a mistake in it. Finding it is of my proudest moments. (See CMOS 6.20)

Despite it being Waka’s first picture book, she did a really great job. The illustrator, Yuko Jones, was fantastic. My favorite part was seeing how she used the teacup mouth to show scenes where Miki enjoyed her cup, and once the teacup was broken, she used the shards to display Miki’s inner conflict.

I work with children who often struggle with perfectionism which usually becomes apparent in art class. I’ve had children have meltdowns or freeze while crying when their painting or drawing isn’t “right” or doesn’t look like the art teacher’s. I recently read this book to one of such students. It helped her understand and deal with her big feelings. I will be definitely be reading this to my kids someday.

I look forward to any other picture book Waka T. Brown writes.