ALLIE AND THE 100 PERCENT PERFECT, FRUSTRATION-FREE DAY!

A perfect day is possible—if you have the right perspective.

As she does most mornings, Allie, a brown-furred alpaca, awakens eager to start her “100 percent perfect, frustration-free day.” She’s determined to learn how to tie her shoes, paint a masterpiece, and bake “absolutely INCREDIBLE cookies” to enjoy with younger brother Alfie. Unfortunately, Allie’s stymied at each turn. She does her best to prepare for the next day, but a nightmare leaves her even more frustrated and irritated. Her grumbly mindset threatens to doom another day, but a chance encounter with Alfie helps her realize that “finding the funny can make everything feel just a little more sunny.” Lloyd and Snowdon have crafted a clever look at the pitfalls of spreading yourself too thin and the importance of finding joy in the little moments. Both author and illustrator balance tenderness with mirth; Allie’s huffy exchange with Mom (“Why don’t you try having a more positive attitude?” “I am being positive!”) will elicit smiles of recognition. Snowdon’s artwork is rendered in childlike scrawls and set against a mostly white backdrop, emphasizing Allie’s trajectory from cheery to exasperation right back to chirpy again.

A surefire cure for the blues.