This book is so cute for talking about friendships and differences! ( )

See also: Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima (companion book), Haylee & Comet by Deborah Marcero ( )

A little pegasus named Nimbus leads a lonely existence in the heavens in this charming follow-up to author/artist Jessie Sima's Not Quite Narwhal. About to wish on a falling star, our winged equine heroine misses her chance, setting out to find the star and the chance at her heart's desire. Her search leads her to a beautiful island, where she meets the Kelp and all of his unicorn and narwhal friends. Searching for the star together, Nimbus and Kelp develop what the little pegasus has been truly looking for: friendship...

Having greatly enjoyed the first story about Kelp, and how he figured out who he was and where he belonged, I picked up Perfectly Pegasus with some anticipation, glad that Sima was returning to this world of magical equines. I haven't encountered that many picture-books about winged horses, save for retellings of the actual Pegasus myth, so I was happy on that score as well. Although I didn't think it was quite the equal of the first, I still found Nimbus' story very sweet, and appreciated its message that friendship must be built, rather than found. The artwork is, unsurprisingly, adorable. Recommended to fans of Not Quite Narwhal, and to picture-book readers looking for stories about friendship, or that feature magical creatures. ( )

I read Sima's children's books purely for myself, not sort of on-spec for the littles I know, and while I enjoy reading children's books, theirs are among the very few I read solely because *I* want to. Like [Not Quite Narwhal] and [Hardly Haunted], Perfectly Pegasus feels thematically queer without being demonstrably queer at all. In this one, a Pegasus wants to wish for a friend but loses the shooting star she wanted to wish on. In the course of her search for the star, she meets many folks who help her. When she returns home still without having found her star, she realizes that she got her wish after all. All those folks who helped her? They are friends. Sima's illustrations are bright and colorful and wonderful, the text simple and to the point. I hope they keep on writing these lovely, slightly fantastical anthropomorphic tales of finding one's people, one's place, one's found family. I will read them all. ( )