The Book of Mistakes
New York Public Library Best Books of the Year 2017
NPR Best of the Year 2017
PNBA Book Award Winner
Nerdies Best Picture Books of the Year 2017
Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Honor
Boston Globe Best of the Year 2017
Junior Library Guild Fall 2017 Pick
WA State Book Award Finalist
SOI Original Art Show 2017 Juried Selection
Amazon Teachers’ Pick
Zoom meets Beautiful Oops! in this memorable picture book debut about the creative process, and the way in which "mistakes" can blossom into inspiration
One eye was bigger than the other. That was a mistake.
The weird frog-cat-cow thing? It made an excellent bush.
And the inky smudges… they look as if they were always meant to be leaves floating gently across the sky.
As one artist incorporates accidental splotches, spots, and misshapen things into her art, she transforms her piece in quirky and unexpected ways, taking readers on a journey through her process. Told in minimal, playful text, this story shows readers that even the biggest “mistakes” can be the source of the brightest ideas—and that, at the end of the day, we are all works in progress, too.
Fans of Peter Reynolds’s Ish and Patrick McDonnell’s A Perfectly Messed-Up Story will love the funny, poignant, completely unique storytelling of The Book of Mistakes. And, like Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, it makes the perfect graduation gift, encouraging readers to have a positive outlook as they learn to face life’s obstacles.
“At once philosophical and imbued with adventurousness, this picture book lifts to the level of the sublime the idea of putting one's slip-ups in perspective.”
—The Wall Street Journal
★ “This will lead kids to see their own so-called mistakes in a new, more positive light.”
—Booklist, starred review
★ “The idea of setbacks being opportunities in disguise is no stranger to picture book pages, but rarely has it been illuminated with such style, imagination, and compassion.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “Striking debut picture book celebrates the creative process.”
—Kirkus, starred review