Beautiful Oops! has been on my library list for probably a good two years now, as it has been incredibly hard to find for some reason. Either it is always out (and reasonably so), or not every library has it in its collection (which, now that I have read and LOVED it, I can say would be a travesty.) My kids and I absolutely love the creative message of Peter H. Reynolds' Ish and The Dot, and Beautiful Oops! delivers an equally inspiring message about creativity, perseverance, and finding beauty in unlikely places.
Both of my children love creating art, though it wasn't always that way. My son, who is very much a self-imposed perfectionist, resisted drawing for the longest time. I think this was mostly because he had an image in his mind of what he wanted his drawing to look like, but knew that he would be unable to make it look that way. Although we would encourage him to draw anyway and not worry about making mistakes or being perfect, he would scribble a few lines on the page and then say he was done. Eventually, though, he turned the corner and became less concerned about making mistakes. He started creating more and becoming frustrated less, and now I can say that drawing is one of his favorite things to do. Of course, he is still a perfectionist about all kinds of other things, so we are still working on that whole embracing mistakes thing...
But therein lies the beauty of Barney Saltzberg's Beautiful Oops! Its encouraging message to see mistakes as opportunities makes it a perfect book for any little one (or anyone, for that matter.) A torn page? No problem! It can easily become an alligator's mouth. A spill or a smudge? A fold or a crumple? No worries! Turn it into something fun, silly, or beautiful! I absolutely love the way this book encourages us to think positively and creatively while appreciating the fact that things need not be perfect to be beautiful.
So, if you can manage to get your hands on a copy of this fabulous book, please do! We promise you won't be disappointed. Happy reading (and creating!)
