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Perfect Partners from Reycraft BooksTakes a Lighthearted Look at the Power and Beauty of Friendship

New Rochelle, NY, Oct. 1, 2022—Leading children’s trade publisher Reycraft Books is proud to present Perfect Partners, a fun and inspiring picture book for readers in Grades K and up, written by Mary Amato and illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh.

Published in hardcover on August 28, 2022, Perfect Partners is the wittily written, charmingly illustrated story of Cat, a young feline with a passion for painting—but she regrets that it can often be a lonely pursuit. Cat is therefore thrilled when she sees an advertisement for an art club. She jumps at the chance to join, eager to meet other cats just like her, who share her interest in painting. But when Cat arrives, she instead finds the place full of barking dogs. So much for fitting in! What can Cat do to overcome her panic and make this a purr-fect situation for herself?

“The main theme of the story is, ‘Friends are always there to find,’” Amato said. “I think that’s an important message to get across as the school year progresses and so many kids are trying to find their place again, after being out of the classroom for a long time.” Amato, an award-winning children’s and YA book author, added that Perfect Partners uses humor to convey the idea that “friends come in all shapes and sizes, in unexpected packages and places, and it encourages readers to defy assumptions about people.”

The illustrations by Rashin Kheiriyeh, an internationally recognized, award-winning artist and author born in Iran, are designed to appeal to a broad audience—young readers are sure to love the playfulness and humor while adults with some knowledge of art history should be able to spot the hidden, clever visual references to works by Picasso, Chagall, and van Gogh.

Amato added that the theme of Perfect Partners is embodied in her relationship with Kheiriyeh, whom she met after joining a children’s book club. “We’re not from the same culture,” Amato said, “but we became friends. We were both feeling very isolated and lonely at the time and wanted to meet partners in art! We were each hoping to find someone to collaborate with to create something. I showed Rashin the manuscript for Perfect Partners and she fell in love with it.” Amato and Kheiriyeh were able to join forces on the book, thus turning their friendship into a Perfect Partnership of their own. “It really is a case,” Amato said, “of life imitating art.”