"A fledgling swift helps a child cope with disappointment when a baby sister is different than expected.

The swifts return the same day the baby comes home from the hospital. The white narrator watches from the window, imagining "racing and chasing" with the baby. But something is wrong; dark, looping scrawls suddenly mar Fisher's eloquent, luminous pastel compositions. The baby is too still. (The baby's condition and prognosis are unknown; the baby herself is often shrouded in mist.) The birds circle as the pensive child plays alone and confesses, "I didn't want to feel the way I felt. But I couldn't love my sister, no matter how I tried." But after the child helps an injured fledgling to fly, the child wonders if the baby likewise "only needs a little help." A close-up of the fledgling's sharp-eyed face is mirrored by a close-up of the baby's white, frail face—the baby's dark eyes are sunken but gaze at readers with a similarly knowing expression. As the siblings lie in the garden, the narrator declares how it will be: the two of them, "screaming with delight and laughter." Davies deftly addresses—and respects—a dark feeling, and though her optimistic symbolism will certainly reassure children, it will equally reassure parents struggling with their own uncertainty or grief.

An emotionally vivid, hopeful illustration of unpredictability, disappointment, and acceptance—recommended for children and parents alike. (Picture book. 4 & up)" A Kirkus starred review, www.kirkusreviews.com

This story is unlike any that I have read so far, and I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing. With this story, I found that I had to read between the lines, and I noticed that there was a lot of symbolism in this story. The narrator seems to have a fascination with birds, and the birds seem to represent his baby sister. Although it was not stated, the text states that "I could see that she would never race or chase. She didn't even scream". To me, that shows that maybe his baby sister is different than most babies, and that is what got the narrator so upset. It wasn't until he found an injured bird that he began to love his sister. This story is more about learning to accept differences, and embracing that, rather than pushing it away. ( )

My initial reaction to this book was that I did not like it. The first pictures of the baby arriving home and the boy laying in the grass are very dark and depressing. I dod not think that was a good way to begin a picture book. One thing I did like about it was the concept of the book. The fact that he was very excited to see his sister and when she didn't live up to his expectations he was upset is very real. This book is about not jumping to conclusions and looking deeper into people by not judging them before you get to know them. ( )

The book “Perfect” grasps the concept of accepting and understanding others who are different from us. I enjoyed reading this book for two main reasons; the illustrations and the author’s descriptive word choice. The illustrations beautifully captured the symbolism that the swift bird represented in the story. For example, the injured swift bird appeared to be just as inactive and quiet as the baby sister was when she first arrived. The illustration and colors around the two subjects were dark and fuzzy and gave a sense of weakness and helplessness to the bird and the baby sister which complimented the text very well. We also see an illustration of the little boy being immersed into the sky with the birds when he wishes that he could vanish along with them. The author’s descriptive word choice helped me as a reader to visualize parts of the story that weren’t or couldn't be represented by an illustration. For instance, I can imagine the sensory experience the young boy must of felt when he helped the swift bird fly away with the authors word use of “tremble “ and “gripped”; “Its small feet gripped my finger for a moment, and its body trembled. Then its wings flickered, fast as thinking and it was gone.” ( )