A Perfectly Messed-Up Story

Price: $18.99 - $16.10
(as of Nov 09, 2025 18:24:31 UTC – Details)


In this interactive and engaging read-aloud, bestselling author and award-winning artist and creator of the MUTTS comic Patrick McDonnell creates a funny, engaging, and almost perfect story about embracing life’s messes.
★ “Brilliant…. A playful, funny, and friendly treatment of anxiety and life’s unpredictable messes.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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.
Caldecott Honoree and creator of the beloved comic strip MUTTS Patrick McDonnell uses his signature gentle touch to remind young readers that it’s okay to make mistakes, that real life isn’t perfect—and that “imperfect” doesn’t mean “worse.”
Don’t miss these other picture books by Patrick McDonnell:
Me…Jane
The Gift of Nothing
The Gift of Everything
Art
Hug Time
Tek
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way)
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
The Monsters’ Monster

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Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars 76

4.6 out of 5 stars 160

4.7 out of 5 stars 105

4.8 out of 5 stars 192

4.8 out of 5 stars 41

4.8 out of 5 stars 599

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More from award-winning author-illustrator Patrick McDonnell, creator of the comic strip MUTTS
Get ready for an absolutely awesome alphabetical adventure, full of energy from A to Z! A delightful bedtime book that pays tribute to classic stories, all while recognizing the small pleasures we have to be thankful for. This gift is everything and nothing, all wrapped up in a board book package—the perfect present! Tek is a caveboy obsessed with his digital devices. But in this hilarious, tablet-shaped book, can he reconnect with the real world? With stunning art from Naoko Stoop, SHINE teaches readers about the beauty in the world around them, and within themselves. The inspiring story of legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, made accessbile for all ages with heartwarming illustrations.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 7, 2014
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316222585
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316222587
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 – 5 years, from customers
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.65 x 0.5 x 10.75 inches
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool – 3
Best Sellers Rank: #61,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #725 in Children’s Self-Esteem Books #1,087 in Children’s Books on Emotions & Feelings (Books) #2,575 in Children’s Humor
Customer Reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 577 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });