Patrick and the Not So ­Perfect Party

Gr 1-2–Patrick is a young perfectionist who loves to cook and plan parties. To celebrate his birthday, Patrick wants to create a perfect event and asks his brother Russ to type the invitations, encouraging his friends to dress up as their favorite food. Unfortunately, his brother makes a mistake on the invitations, and his friends all arrive as their favorite foot. What turns out to be a merry mix-up, instead causes Patrick a great deal of dismay, leading him to tell his parents that his favorite thing about the party is when it is over. In a tightly paced text and borne out in scene after scene, over the next year, Patrick plans the perfect tea party for his next birthday, encouraging his friends to wear the perfect hats. Although he triple checks his invitations to be sure there are no mistakes, somehow his friends arrive wearing their favorite cats. Vibrant illustrations provide a festive atmosphere throughout the story and comically illustrate Patrick’s ensuing frustration at the chaos caused by the miscommunications. It is unclear whether or not Patrick learns to embrace the less-than-perfect situations that arise, but it just goes to show, the best laid plans do not always go our way, and that message may resonate for conscientious young perfectionists. Patrick and his family have dark skin in various shades.