It's Going to Be Perfect [Hardcover]

Nancy Carlson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998 | Age Level: 3 and up

There's something for every parent and child to enjoy in this delightfully fresh picture book that takes playful aim at the art of parenting--and all the hopeful, nail-biting expectations that go with it. What's a parent to think when raising a child doesn't happen quite the way it's expected to? Mom might envision a baby who sleeps through the night, but when baby gets fussy they'll both discover that 3:00 a.m. can be a beautiful time to be awake. And while the word baby uses most is NO!, her favorite word is definitely Mama. Told with quiet wisdom and Nancy Carlson's trademark sense of humor, here is a heartwarming and reassuring book that will invite children to ask what was I like when I was little? Nancy Carlson is also the author of ABC I Like Me!, which Kirkus called a sheer delight of self expression. Nancy Carlson lives in Bloomington, Minnesota with her husband and three perfect children.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3?A celebration of families. The simple, predictable story line begins with a pregnant woman dreaming about her soon-to-be-born child and how perfect life will be. However, after the baby comes, the mother's expectations are somewhat tempered by reality. As she experiences crying, potty training, inappropriate restaurant manners, and her child's entry into preschool, the woman still exclaims, "But boy am I glad you're here!" The story is an affirmation of a mother's love and appreciation for her child. Carlson's simple, bright pictures add a great deal of humor to the straightforward text as the child exhibits her own personality and independence. Potty training is illustrated in an especially funny way, as the reluctant child stands with arms folded across her chest, while her mother pleads on her knees. However, all of the pictures will bring smiles to readers' faces. No father is seen or mentioned, so many interpretations of the family situation can be made. The messages of love, joy, and celebration permeate this endearing story.?Susan Knell, Pittsburgh State University, Pittsburgh, KS
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. Talking to her daughter, a mother reveals the three stages she went through as her child grew from babyhood to school age: what she imagined would happen, what really came to pass, and the way she reacted to what occurred. She imagined her daughter would slumber sweetly through the night, be a breeze to potty train, and have dazzling restaurant manners. In real life, Mom had sleepless nights, a challenging potty-training, and "found out that some restaurants [didn't] want kids to have any fun while they're eating." Tenderly comical pictures show the perfect life contrasted with the buoyantly messy reality, and the whole book is suffused with the love shared by parents and children. Adults will nod with recognition, and children will enjoy the notion that even grown-ups have funny ideas sometimes. Susan Dove Lemke

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670878022
• ISBN-13: 978-0670878024
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

This year illustrator and author Nancy Carlson published her 44th children's book. Her specialty is teaching kids to feel good about themselves and others.Kids, parents, teachers and even book critics think she does a great job. That's because she is never out of touch with the kid spirit inside herself. Her brightly colored pencil drawings perfectly capture the happy-go-lucky characters that fill her clever and funny books. There is a life lesson to be learned from each story.Nancy decided at age five to be an artist. As a child, Nancy would sit on her bed and draw for hours. "I began creating characters and telling stories through my drawings," Nancy said. "I always had the need to communicate something through my art." Her early love of comic books influenced her style of drawing and use of color.A graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art, Nancy has kept alive a youthful zest for life. Readers and book reviewers alike are charmed by her jazzy yet childlike drawings done with bright colored pencils. In all 42 books and four stage plays, she uses well-placed humor in words and pictures to tickle the funny bone of children and their parents.Humorous childhood experiences from her own life growing up in Minneapolis and from the escapades of her three children provide themes for stories. Most of her books feature animal characters that show the funny side of people. Nancy's two dogs, cat and a guinea pig are a source of inspiration.Nancy Carson lives in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. She and her husband, Barry McCool, have three children, two dogs, and a cat. Nancy loves nature and spends as much time outdoors as possible, running, biking and birdwatching. Besides writing and illustrating children's books, she designs posters, t-shirts, caps, greeting cards and other specialty items, which are marketed across the country through McCool Unlimited, Inc. and available though Nancy's on-line catalogue.Readers say they recognize themselves and their friends in the characters who triumph over everyday situations.Each story helps young readers deal with life's little problems, while teaching the basic values of honesty, determination and self-confidence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Mother's Day or new baby gift - for mom!, May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: It's Going to Be Perfect (Hardcover)

I heard this book read in a preschool storytime. While it's certainly appropriate for kids, I think the moms enjoyed it more! The moms had all "been there", and laughed in acknowledgement of the fantasy of motherhood/child rearing versus the reality. Recognizing that it's all ok, at the end of the book the mom says of the future; "It's going to be perfect, it has been so far."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My daughter's favorite book, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: It's Going to Be Perfect (Hardcover)

This is my 3 year old daughter's favorite book. She likes seeing the baby grow to be a toddler and then a preschooler and finally a kindergartener. After reading it every night for a month, we both still love it - which says a lot!