Thanks to Smith Publicity for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review. All thoughts are my own.
'Mistakes are just something that everyone makes.'
Are you a perfectionist? I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, myself. Before my husband and I had our first child, we talked a lot about our personality types and discussed some of the things we might want to try to not to push on our children. We realized full and well and they might naturally wind up very much like either or both of us (and if you keep track of your flaws or worst qualities like I do, this is probably a scary realization).
Striving to be perfect really isn't all it's cracked up to be, as I've learned throughout the course of my life. I never want my kids to be afraid to make mistakes or to try something and fail, and then be riddled with guilt or shame. That's where grace comes in... and there's a lot of grace to go around. My kids aren't the only ones who need to be reminded that perfection is not the expectation.
We had the chance to read a wonderful new children's book together the other night, and boy is it a good one! If your kids love pirates and tales of adventure, they will love this colorful, fun-filled tale of Captain LaPlank, The Perfect Pirate.
Dive into adventures on the high seas with Captain LaPlank!
Bean loves this story and loves to look through the pictures on her own.
An emerging children’s author inspired by Dr. Seuss, Flibber T. Gibbet wrote the whimsical cautionary tale of Captain LaPlank: The Perfect Pirate to inspire perfectionist parents to focus on embracing children doing the best they can, and perhaps they can learn a little something along the way, too.
We love the way the story rhymes and the flow of the book. It reads sort of song-like, since the verses all rhyme. Captain LaPlank is completely relatable... in fact, he's a lot like me. He just doesn't like to see mistakes, likes to be in total control, and even goes so far as to cut others out of his life if they can't keep up with his rules.
It's such a timely story. We're constantly being shown unrealistic images of perfection. Just look at a celebrity or well-known influencer's Instagram... every photo is perfectly staged, and it's just not real life. No one is perfect, and things can't be realistically perfect all the time, which is something Captain LaPlank does eventually realize.
'Let's read it again!'
As we read through the story, it made me stop and think- 'Am I expecting too much from my kids?' My son got confused on a recent test at school and came home with a grade that was less than expected, and very unusual for him. The far from perfect score made my eye twitch, and I had to stop myself from telling him 'you can do better.' I don't want to be that type of parent. I want my kids to know that as long as they're kind to others, and always do their best, that's good enough for me.
The start of the new school year is the perfect time to read this book with your kids- over and over again! It teaches parents and kids alike a valuable lesson.
Mistakes are just something that everyone makes...
“It has nothing to do with ship captains and crews—perfection’s not something that pirates can choose. They’d bungled their business but those are the breaks—mistakes are just something that everyone makes!”
Want it? Get it!
Artwork and illustrations by Rob Foote.
Captain LaPlank: The Perfect Pirate (September 2018) is available on Amazon. More information, including a video version of the story and a downloadable coloring book, can be found at misterflibber.com and on YouTube.
Thanks to Smith Publicity for allowing me to share about this wonderful new book. Look for it in our 2018 Back to School Guide.
How do you broach the subject of perfection with your kids? Let's chat about it!
I hope to find it at library. Sounds like an awesome book. I didn't know a lot of my traits until I saw them in my daughter
ReplyDeleteKatie, isn't that funny? I love seeing personalities develop in children. I do hope your library will carry this book- sometimes if you put in a request, they are able to purchase certain books for the library.
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