Nobody's Perfect

“Nobody’s Perfect illustrates how extreme perfectionism can get in the way of enjoying life. I recommend this book highly for any child who struggles with the need to always be perfect.”–Martin M. Antony, PhD, author, When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough: Strategies for Coping with Perfectionism, professor of psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto

“Ellen Flanagan Burns is giving all children who suffer from the pain of perfectionism a wonderful gift by helping them understand mistakes are a normal part of life and everything they do doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect!”–Rosemary Callard-Szulgit, EdD, author of Perfectionism and Gifted Children

“The thoughtful handling of an important real-life issue makes Nobody’s Perfect highly recommended, and an absolute must-have for children’s grade school and public library collections.”–The Midwest Book Review

“Children want to feel successful. No child wants to feel like a loser. But, sometimes wanting to be the best can lead to perfectionism and require help from parents, teachers and counselors. Children can become anxious, stressed and not want to attend school. With the beginning of the school year, it would be a good time to share this book with your kids and let them know that you don’t expect them to be perfect with everything they do. The author, Ellen Flanagan Burns is a psychologist and writes a lovely introduction to the book with suggestions. She mentions her own problem with perfectionism as a child. The illustrations by Erica Pelton Villnave are colorful and expressive and appear on every page.”–Children’s Books Heal

Ellen Flanagan Burns is a school psychologist and licensed massage therapist. She is a strong supporter of cognitive-based interventions and believes that bibliotherapy with children is extremely powerful. She has a particular interest in helping children with anxiety-related issues because she has worked with many children suffering from them and has dealt with perfectionism personally and professionally. She lives in Newark, Delaware with her family.

Erica Pelton Villnave’s involvement in children’s literature began at The Maryland Institute College of Art where she studied illustration.