When actor and activist JAZMYN SIMON’s daughter was a toddler, she voiced deep insecurities about herself. She wanted to be pretty; she wanted to look like other girls. From dolls at the store to her various classmates, everything that little Kennedy Irie saw equated to beauty did not look like her. Fortunately, Simon’s intuition, instinct, and love led her to tell Kennedy: from your skin to your hair to your heart, you are specially made of all of mama’s favorite attributes. That experience inspired Simon to write her picture book debut, MOST PERFECT YOU (Random House Books for Young Readers; Ages 4-8; on sale May 3, 2022) with illustrations by TAMISHA ANTHONY; a moving love letter to children struggling to accept themselves inside and out—exactly as they are.
When you were finally born, I looked at you and you were everything that I had asked for. And as you grew, you were not only the most perfect you, but you were kind to.
In MOST PERFECT YOU, after comparing herself to other little girls, Irie (named after Simon’s daughter) confides in her mother that she feels that something is wrong with her, that she’s not perfect as she is. And so Irie’s mama tells the magical story of how Irie was intentionally and wonderfully made. In fact, Irie is made up of all her mother’s favorite things: sparkling eyes, a bright smile, and a kind heart.
JAZMYN SIMON (@jazmynsimon) is an actor, activist, and mother. Raised in northern California, Jazmyn began pursuing acting during college at the University of Nevada. She later moved to Chicago and joined improv troupe Second City. Jazmyn rose to fame on HBO’s hit dramedy “Ballers,” starring The Rock. On the big screen, she has starred in Tyler Perry’s “Acrimony,” among many other films. Most recently, Jazmyn appeared in the Netflix series “Raising Dion,” which has been renewed for a second season. Jazmyn lives in L.A. with her husband, actor Dulé Hill, and their two children.
TAMISHA ANTHONY is a freelance illustrator for various clients, such as Macmillan Publishers, New York University, and Chronicle Books. She has been an educator for the past several years teaching at institutions such as the New-York Historical Society and the Harlem School of the Arts. Tamisha received her undergraduate degree in visual arts from Rice University and her master’s in computer art from the School of Visual Arts. She sells paper goods and products at Renegade Craft Fair and Artists & Fleas, and on Etsy under the name PuffedSleeves. This is her first book.
MOST PERFECT YOU by JAZMYN SIMON, illustrated by TAMISHA ANTHONY
A Random House Books for Young Readers Hardcover | On sale May 3, 2022
978-0-593-42694-4 | 40 pages | $18.99/ $24.99 Can. | Ages 4 – 8 | EL: 978-0-593-42696-8 | $10.99/$11.99 Can.
Also available as an audiobook from Listening Library
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