The story behind TikTok star Peet Montzingo’s book, Little Imperfections, and growing up in a family of little people.

November 3rd, 2022

TikTok star and YouTuber Peet Montzingo has gained his following by being ordinary.

As the only average-height person in a family of little people, Montzingo has a unique perspective on what it’s like to be different.

“I always tell myself it’s really weird for me to try and imagine myself being born in a family of average-height people,” Montzingo said. “To me, that just sounds really strange. I couldn’t even imagine.”

Montizingo, who has over 11 million followers on TikTok and over 8 million subscribers on Youtube, is very open about his family life online. He’s shared his experiences on all his platforms about how being in a family of little people has affected him.

“I think it allows me to be a little bit more accepting,” Montzingo said. “It allowed me to see things a little bit differently, allowed me to be a little bit more creative and think outside the box.”

He speaks lightheartedly of his situation, recalling pranking his family members by putting things on the highest shelves. But he also realizes the subtle impacts it has on him now, like only using the lower shelves in his apartment. Because for him, “that’s normal.”

Montzingo said it was the pandemic that really motivated him to start his life on social media. After having to cut a tour with his band short due to the pandemic, he went back home and started creating videos.

“In those two weeks that I was home, I posted a TikTok, like I always do,” Montzingo said. “But for some reason, this one went super viral, and that’s kind of how it all started … I honestly don’t know how it happened, but I’m glad it did.”

Now, Montzingo uses his large platform as a source of advocacy for not only little people, but everyone who feels different.

“I wanted to do awareness about little people because there isn’t that much out there,” Montzingo said. “And the people who’ve tried to do awareness haven’t really succeeded in the right ways. It’s been ‘Little Women L.A.’ and reality shows that, in my opinion, poke fun a little bit still. So, I just feel like I wanted the base to be about my life and dwarfism, but also open it up to anybody who feels that way, no matter where they’re at.”

Montzingo’s mother, Vicki Montzingo, makes regular appearances on all his platforms. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, and was an aspiring actress. During COVID-19, she gained popularity quickly on Montzingo’s TikTok platform, which resulted in videos reaching 117.9 million views and counting.

“It’s been a shift in our relationship because we’ve always felt super close and had a connection growing up, but I’m working, and we’ve had to make some decisions,” Montzingo said. “Like last week, we denied a straight-to-series TLC reality show because she wanted to do it, and I didn’t. It’s hard conversations that have brought us together even more in a different way. …  In the long run, it has been a positive thing for our relationship.”

Monzingo approached his best friend, Rockwell Sands, 14-15 months ago with an idea to write a children’s book, revolving around Montzingo’s experience growing up in a family of little people, discussing concepts of acceptance and diversity.

Montzingo explains that similarly to Dr. Seuss’s children’s books, this book incorporates a lyrical rhyme scheme for simplicity. As well, Sands had the idea of turning the book into a video adaptation, which he performed the score for. The video can be found by scanning the QR code at the end of the book.

“We wanted it to be magical,” Sands said. “I think a children’s book inherently carries a lot of magic with it and a lot of really fun memories for all of us. We wanted the story to be timeless.”

The message of this book is that we are all different in one way, therefore we should love ourselves and accept others for who they are. It also conveys that in reality, what are considered our “weaknesses” are inherently our strengths.

“We want them to realize that no matter how they feel different, no matter how they feel in their lives when they’re having a down season in school, on a team, no matter what, we all feel different in one way,” Montzingo said. “When you realize that, you learn to love yourself unconditionally, regardless, and accept other people unconditionally.”

The book, “Little Imperfections: A Tall Tale of Growing Up Different,” was released on Nov. 1. Montzingo is currently using his social media platforms to promote his book, which can be found on Amazon.

“The cool thing about this book is the amount of love that we see reflected back at us in the comments,” Sands said. “The amount of positive energy we get whenever he (Peet) posts a video about it is crazy. The internet is a mean place, but whenever he posts a video about the book and a heartwarming message, people say things like ‘This is going to mean so much to a lot of people,’ ‘I can’t wait for kids to read this,’ ‘You’re going to change a lot of lives and make a lot of people feel like they belong.’ ”

Montzingo and Sands hope that everyone will find a way to relate to the book and that children that read it will take its message to heart.

“It’s a universal message that your differences are what make you unique,” Sands said. “What makes you unique is what makes you beautiful. It’s that age-old story told through the lens of Peet’s life where he just says, ‘Here’s how I relate, and here’s how I can best give this message to everyone else.”