What do you think?
Rate this book
Tiny, Perfect Things
The whole world is a treasure waiting to be found. Open your eyes and see the wonderful things all around. This is the story of a child and a grandfather whose walk around the neighborhood leads to a day of shared wonder as they discover all sorts of tiny, perfect things together. With rhythmic storytelling and detailed and intricate illustrations, this is a book about how childlike curiosity can transform ordinary days into extraordinary adventures.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
3 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 11, 2024
What a lovely book! Read it with a small child before you take them on a summer walk! Stop somewhere and read this book before a picnic! Small children will really like this book that challenges them to look closer at the things around them. I think it is a skill that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives.
July 23, 2021
Lovely! The message isn't anything new, but I appreciate the delivery. Most children don't need a book like this... they are naturally so observant and ready to see the tiny, perfect things in nature. But, it's a good reminder for the grown-ups and a sweet read-together experience.
August 1, 2018
this book itself is tiny and perfect.
love it and will buy for my future danimal jr.
love it and will buy for my future danimal jr.
June 27, 2018
I love to escape into books at any time, but when there’s a lot going on in the world and in my day-to-day life, that escape becomes more precious and important. Or, if an escape isn’t going to cut it, a book reminding me to savor beautiful everyday moments is even better. M.H. Clark and Madeline Kloepper’s picture book Tiny, Perfect Things encourages readers young and old to take a walk outside with a loved one, pay attention, and celebrate the act of discovery.
A girl and her grandfather take a walk along a nature trail and through their neighborhood. Along the way they take turns pointing out the tiny, perfect things they see – a spider web, a bottle cap, a group of crows, and so on. As the sun begins to go down, they head home to celebrate their discoveries with family, and to plan another adventure.
Tiny, Perfect Things is a quiet, contemplative picture book that revels in the wonder of the commonplace. It urges readers of all ages (but especially very young ones) to become everyday observers as they move through the world, and to look for so-called “hidden” marvels. On each page there are unexpected or partially concealed details for readers to find. Uncovering these elements one by one will prompt interaction beyond the text.
For children too young to read, this book will be a good one to page through by themselves – with its pages full of treasures it invites telling a story to oneself. It is also a good candidate for a bedtime story – the rhyming text ends as the day ends, and the characters muse about what the next day may hold. I’d put the ideal reading age at 2-5.
Let’s talk about the art! Kloepper’s art is exceptional, warm, and unaffected. The colored pencil-filled pages are full of delightful details, and yet the lines and strokes are visible enough to prompt kids to mimic them. It’s art, but it’s also artful – the whole book is a feast for the eyes. I include in that the gorgeous production (there’s a yellow cloth binding and embossing on the cover), beautiful endpapers, and a fold-out page spread at the end. It’s pretty enough to be a gift book and practical enough to be a kid-favorite, and that’s the best of both worlds, as far as I’m concerned.
Other (good) things to mention: the family in the story is blended, there isn’t a dust jacket, and while it isn’t nonfiction, this would be a good book to pair with other nonfiction nature-filled picture books, such as The Things That I Love About Trees and Over and Under the Snow, and as a precursor to STEM-friendly titles like Ada Twist, Scientist.
In all, Tiny, Perfect Things is a delightful, tranquil picture book, and should be a hit with most of the preschool set.
Recommended for: children ages 2-5 and their respective adults, and especially any kids whose favorite/first question is “What’s that?”
A girl and her grandfather take a walk along a nature trail and through their neighborhood. Along the way they take turns pointing out the tiny, perfect things they see – a spider web, a bottle cap, a group of crows, and so on. As the sun begins to go down, they head home to celebrate their discoveries with family, and to plan another adventure.
Tiny, Perfect Things is a quiet, contemplative picture book that revels in the wonder of the commonplace. It urges readers of all ages (but especially very young ones) to become everyday observers as they move through the world, and to look for so-called “hidden” marvels. On each page there are unexpected or partially concealed details for readers to find. Uncovering these elements one by one will prompt interaction beyond the text.
For children too young to read, this book will be a good one to page through by themselves – with its pages full of treasures it invites telling a story to oneself. It is also a good candidate for a bedtime story – the rhyming text ends as the day ends, and the characters muse about what the next day may hold. I’d put the ideal reading age at 2-5.
Let’s talk about the art! Kloepper’s art is exceptional, warm, and unaffected. The colored pencil-filled pages are full of delightful details, and yet the lines and strokes are visible enough to prompt kids to mimic them. It’s art, but it’s also artful – the whole book is a feast for the eyes. I include in that the gorgeous production (there’s a yellow cloth binding and embossing on the cover), beautiful endpapers, and a fold-out page spread at the end. It’s pretty enough to be a gift book and practical enough to be a kid-favorite, and that’s the best of both worlds, as far as I’m concerned.
Other (good) things to mention: the family in the story is blended, there isn’t a dust jacket, and while it isn’t nonfiction, this would be a good book to pair with other nonfiction nature-filled picture books, such as The Things That I Love About Trees and Over and Under the Snow, and as a precursor to STEM-friendly titles like Ada Twist, Scientist.
In all, Tiny, Perfect Things is a delightful, tranquil picture book, and should be a hit with most of the preschool set.
Recommended for: children ages 2-5 and their respective adults, and especially any kids whose favorite/first question is “What’s that?”
July 17, 2018
Perfect. What a wonderful book that reminds us all of all the perfect things around us all the time...just like children do for us busy adults. Perfect for those days when they world feels full of less than perfect things.
October 6, 2018
This is a beautiful, intergenerational & multicultural new picture book, that shows what wonders await if we are open to seeing them.
July 28, 2021
So lovely, so Charlotte Mason.
October 8, 2025
Yes, the world IS full of tiny perfect things. You just have to look!
April 4, 2019
Lushly illustrated, this book is about taking the time to notice the beauty that surrounds us. Its lyrical prose makes reading aloud a joy; I especially enjoyed the double fold-out page that encourages you to find tiny, perfect things!
June 26, 2019
Lovely reverie of a walk shared by grandpa and granddaughter and the things they see. A celebration of observation, nature, family and community. A gate fold spread at the end offers the reader the pleasure of finding all the tiny, perfect things in one illustration. Like a fun pop quiz.
June 18, 2021
Other reviewer‘s have said it and they are correct. If you have a little person in your life that has to stop and stare and follow every piece of minutia that they come across on a walk with you then this is a wonderful book to read to them.
September 29, 2018
Great for modeling small moments.
October 24, 2018
Is it odd that one of the tiny, perfect things that stood out to me with this book was the lettering? I really liked the style - and how it all fit into the story and illustrations.
February 24, 2019
Sweet story about noticing small things all around us
March 8, 2019
A beautifully illustrated story of discovering the beauty around us no matter how small.
March 16, 2019
Such a beautiful book intended to help a child become aware of the wonders around them every day. Lovely colorful illustrations top it off. A perfect book to give to your child or grandchild.
November 20, 2018
A girl and her grandfather search the world for tiny, perfect things. Together they find lots of small delights in the big world. The fold out pages where children can look for tiny, perfect things is especially fun.
January 25, 2023
What a DELIGHTFUL book that inspires me to look for the tiny, perfect things. The unique Madeline Kloepper illustrations grew on me more and more.
February 8, 2022
Another adorable book by M.H. Clark! Beautifully illustrated and has wonderful messages about living mindfully and appreciating nature in it.
January 29, 2021
Some times a good picture book with a few sentences and good flow is just the kind of tiny, perfect thing to explore with curiosity as the characters are finding joy in all the little wonders the world contains. A bottle cap and a snail anyone?
March 16, 2023
A very short story about noticing the mundane on your very doorstep, perfect for getting kids to appreciate and celebrate simple things. As an illustrator, I'm in love with the stunning imagery and style
June 26, 2019
A little girl explores around the town with her grownup, noticing small things (ie a spiderweb, bottle cab, the neighbors cat, etc). So cute to see how attentive the child is to the world around her, and the illustrations are lovely!
June 18, 2019
Just picks up where toddler brains are and runs with it. Stopping on a walk to collect a hundred small treasures? Of course you are. My three- and one-year-olds also enjoyed the hunting through the illustrations to find the treasures that were mentioned in the text about the walk. This is one of those perfect books that fits childhood like a glove. Bonus-- my three-year-old now exclaims, "it's a tiny perfect thing!" when he sees all those interesting treasures, and it is charming AF.
August 21, 2018
"The world is filled with wonders, no matter where we go." Like this Grandpa, my husband used to take our first grandchild on walks, looking for and finding those "tiny, perfect things" and now I do this with my granddaughters. That grandson is now a senior in high school! So, you must know how much this book touched me as this grandfather takes his granddaughter out walking, looking and finding, the girl tells her mother upon returning home: "A leaf, a snail, a cat, some crows." In brief rhyming text, M.H. Clark takes us along on this journey, hopefully inspiring other adults to take their own walks with children in their lives. Madeline Kloepper wonderfully illustrates the discoveries of these tiny, perfect things as she shows this pair looking down (at a leaf) up high (at a snail on a gate and crows in a tree). They notice interesting things with people, too, like a man with a feather in his hat. A surprise is added at the end with a double page spread where readers are invited to discover their own 'tiny, perfect things'. On daily walks, with granddaughters or alone, my own wandering makes me look for what I will now remember as "tiny, perfect things."
February 27, 2019
A grandfather takes his granddaughter out for a walk to admire the world around them, especially the small things. I was so engaged looking at the richness of the world around them that It wasn't till they returned home that I noticed that the granddaughter is biracial.
I found the rhyming text problematic in areas, but it's a small quibble. It was the illustrations that blew me away in this book. I searched to see if I could find more about Madeline Klopper's artistic process. I haven't found anything yet but I haven't given up either. If you are looking for a book to demonstrate perspective you need look no further.
I found the rhyming text problematic in areas, but it's a small quibble. It was the illustrations that blew me away in this book. I searched to see if I could find more about Madeline Klopper's artistic process. I haven't found anything yet but I haven't given up either. If you are looking for a book to demonstrate perspective you need look no further.
August 7, 2018
Love the illustrations, especially the scene in the house. Love the family. Love the idea. I like the end that encourages children to find tiny perfect things on the page.
I had a hard time with the switch to rhyming and inconsistent meter, although I am a fan of the slant rhymes.
I was also disappointed in the lack of tiny things. Birds and cats, neighbors, shadows of people, and the moon are not tiny.
I had a hard time with the switch to rhyming and inconsistent meter, although I am a fan of the slant rhymes.
I was also disappointed in the lack of tiny things. Birds and cats, neighbors, shadows of people, and the moon are not tiny.
November 12, 2018
Quick read with a few simple words used on each page - perfect for readers with short attention spans. The story is meaningful, especially now, during a time of hustle and bustle. This book serves as a good reminder to look at the beauty and perfection all around us and to appreciate the little things. The color of the illustrations reminded me of autumn and each page seemed to have several different types of medium in each picture.
August 4, 2018
A young girl and her grandfather take a walk, and discover many tiny, perfect things. These small and perfect things include a leaf, a snail, a cat, some crows. Things that probably don't seem like much to most, but they are tiny little treasures to the girl and her grandfather. It would be fun to read this to a child and then take them on a walk and see what tiny, perfect things they can find.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2019
This book is simple and lovely - the art perfectly suits the gently rhyming text. Each page has lots of details to revisit on future readings. One caveat: the fold out pages at the end will not hold up to a lot of handling by younger readers. I think parents and libraries alike would appreciate a boardbook version if the publisher offered it.
July 7, 2018
Besides reading, my other hobby is photography. I tend to prefer my macro lens, focusing on tiny features that I think many people don’t notice. This book is perfect for inspiring young readers to look closer at their everyday surroundings and discover the wonders hiding in plain sight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews