The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
This consists mostly of brief text and simple drawings. We go on a journey of what happens when someone makes a mistake, this time with art. The artist makes a mistake, and in the process makes another mistake in trying to fix it. But then they try something else that turns out well. Mistakes keep getting made, but the fixing of them sends the project on an entirely new direction.
This teaches us that instead of constantly erasing or starting over, continue making mistakes. Fixing them sometimes forces you to be more creative than simply erasing. And nothing is ever perfect. Art can constantly evolve. If every drawing you did turned out exactly as you wanted it to from the beginning, how would you grow as an artist? Where would the fun be in that? I would recommend this to every artist and every art class, because it teaches a valuable lesson that children need to learn and that adults may have forgotten. In the words of Ms. Frizzle: “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!”
Princesses Are Not Perfect by Katie Lum, Illustrated by SueHellard
This story is great! The artwork is a bit scribbly, which some people may not like as much. If you’re a fan of clean lines and bright colors, this may not be your favorite. But give it a try anyway! There are a lot of little details to find upon rereading, and the message that is gives is a good one.
There are three princesses, Allie, Mellie, and Libby. They all have the one thing they like doing best. Princess Allie (the blonde) likes baking, and creates the most magnificent confections. And she is happiest while baking. Princess Libby (who has pink hair) loves to build things, a rather different pastime for a princess. (Hooray for STEM fields!) And Libby is happiest while building. And Princess Mellie (who rocks purple hair) loves gardening, and can make nearly anything grow. And Libby is happiest when gardening.
The grand Summer Party is coming up soon, and the princesses decide to switch roles. (This is based off of a bad night’s sleep, so it’s not a well-thought-out idea.) Mellie will bake, Allie will build, and Libby will garden. This will turn out splendidly, because of course, “princesses are good at everything.”
Well, it’s pretty obvious how it turns out. Each princess goes about her task based on the skills that she knows, and it doesn’t go well. But everything does work out in the end, because the princesses realize that they don’t have to be good at everything, they can just do what they love.
And there’s a bouncy castle.
