Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior [Hardcover]

Sandra Dutton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2007 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

However beastly the problem, Miss Perfect, a correspondent for the Beastly Gazette, has the answer:

Say “I’m sorry” if you accidentally crush someone.
Clean your room when asked.
And never chew on your sister without first asking permission.

Readers will laugh at Miss Perfect’s often surprising but always on-target advice, and find a kinship with the animals, whose problems are not all that different from their own.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] witty collection that entertains while subtly conveying information…Dutton's understated watercolor-and-ink illustrations are charming…a perfect complement to the humorous text. Kirkus Reviews, Starred

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sandra Dutton, formerly a professor of English, now lives with her husband in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where she writes, paints, and teaches design.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (April 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618677178
• ISBN-13: 978-0618677177
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,242,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sandra Dutton's books have been named to "Pick of the Lists" by American Bookseller, and featured in Publishers Weekly.

She has taught both art and writing at the elementary, high school, and university levels, and has a Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Composition. Her musical "Just a Matter of Time" was produced as an Equity Showcase at the Sage Theatre, Times Square, New York City.

Her reviews have appeared in the New York Times Book Review.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miss Perfect Tickles the Soul, June 14, 2007

By 

Jane Sobie (Asheville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior (Hardcover)

Emily Post --- move over. Miss Perfect, a fine-feathered bird, is the advice columnist for The Beastly Gazette in Sandra Dutton's newest children's book, Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior. Seventeen animals write letters to Miss Perfect with humorous exaggerated concerns on matters of food, school, family, friends and relationships. Arthur B. Elephant, for example, wonders where he should place his trunk at the dinner table between courses. Jonathan Porcupine laments that girls won't dance the rumba with him because of his quills. Miss Perfect, with grand savoir-faire, says, "You've simply been asking the wrong girls. You need a partner with thick skin. How about asking a Rhinoceros?" Miss Perfect believes that a Beast who knows proper behavior is a happier Beast. The text tickles the soul, and fun watercolor illustrations, also by Dutton, delight the eyes. Children can have fun with the Beasts' letters and come up with their own -- even answer them pretenting they are Miss Perfect. This book would make a wonderful addition to any children's library collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read, June 14, 2007

By 

Mike Blankenship (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior (Hardcover)

Three generations of our family have read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was especially rewarding to see the pleasure of the kids had reading it.

This is fun for everyone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is a "Little Beast" in all of us. JDE, May 5, 2007

By 

J. Eblen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior (Hardcover)

I have purchased other books by Sandra Dutton for my grandchildren, and have enjoyed them all. So, I was anxious for the release of "Dear Miss Perfect: A Beast's Guide to Proper Behavior." I certainly was not disappointed. I loved all the "beastly" characters. Their problems were not unlike any young child's. Miss Perfect always had the right answer for their woes with a bit of wit and humor. I am anxious now to share this book with my grandchildren.