Embrace Mistakes, Celebrate Imperfections

Success isn't about avoiding mistakes - it's about getting back up, trtying again, and embracing the joy in every attempy, experiment, and discovery!

Learn more about these perfectly imperfect stories!

Mistaco

Eliza Kinkz

* “[W]ith magnificently scrawled artwork, Kinkz offers a story that blends deep empathy, raucous candor, and a useful ritual for dealing with shame.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

A chaotically funny debut picture book about a girl who's had a terrible day full of mistakes and finds that making mistacos could be a delicious solution.

After an awful day at school (including a tragic but plausibly deniable mishap with a pudding cup), Izzy wants to be left alone. But it's Friday, and that means making tortillas with Lito.

As the mistakes pile up, they come tumbling out of Izzy—and Lito surprises her by saying everyone makes mistakes, and if she makes a tortilla out of her mistakes, he will EAT it. 

"Mmmm. . .spicy! And boogery! With a hint of courage. My favorite taco EVER!"

Suddenly, the whole family is confessing and getting mistakes off their chests with a feast of mistacos! A delightfully silly picture book for fans of Dragons Love Tacos and The Book of Mistakes. Includes instructions on how to make and enjoy your own mistacos!

The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken, Corinna Luyken

The Book of Mistakes

Corinna Luyken

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.

Fail-a-bration

Brad Montague, Kristi Montague

New York Times bestselling duo Brad and Kristi Montague are throwing a big party to celebrate failures, in this fun and affirming book that finds the joy in trying and learning, even if you don’t succeed

You are cordially invited to a giant fail-a-bration party! Bring with you the cake that came out lopsided, the spelling test mistakes, or the plant that died.

Brad and Kristi Montague have started a movement for kids and adults alike to celebrate the way failing actually means you tried and learned something. Failing doesn’t have to bad! It's just part of the process of learning to do something better.

So if you missed the goal during that soccer game or burned the cookies, put on a party hat and join the fail-a-bration, to let the fail fires light the way to success!

Millie Magnus Won't Be Bullied by Brittany Mazique, Ebony Glenn

Millie Magnus Won't Be Bullied

Brittany Mazique, Ebony Glenn

The first installment in a hilarious and charming chapter book series featuring exuberant and irresistible third-grader Millie Magnus.

Millie Magnus has huge love for many things—her mom, her friends, her baby chicken, Extra Spicy, and even her hot pink rain boots. She loves school, too, and can’t wait for Field Day, when her mom—the mayor of Washington, D.C.—will be her partner in the three-legged race.

Millie Magnus DOESN'T love it when Buckley, a boy from school, makes fun of her curly hair, or her name, or her friends. And she can’t believe it when Buckley is assigned to compete against Millie and her mother at Field Day! But then things get even worse. When Millie’s plan to talk to Buckley about his bullying is ruined, SHE ends up in the principal’s office.

But Millie’s can-do spirit is hard to keep down and her big feelings come in handy when she learns something new about Buckley. She may even find a way to call him a friend.

Gaga Mistake Day by Emma Straub, Susan Straub, Jessica Love

Gaga Mistake Day

Emma Straub, Susan Straub, Jessica Love

When Grandma comes for a visit, silliness and creativity are guaranteed, in this funny and endearing book by bestselling novelist Emma Straub; her kids' gaga, Susan Straub; and award-winning illustrator Jessica Love.

Gaga days are the best! That’s when this eccentric, mischievous grandma babysits her delighted granddaughter. These Gaga days are always full of the silliest “mistakes,” like swapping eyeglasses and walking backwards to the park. Like making the house safe by eating all the marshmallow goblins, filling the tub to bursting with bubbles, and then reading a bedtime story all the way through upside down.

With touches of Amelia Bedelia and Eloise, this irrepressible granny might just inspire deliciously goofy, endlessly creative, and bursting-with-love grandma-grandchild playdates!

The Perfect Place by Matt de la Peña, Paola Escobar

The Perfect Place

Matt de la Peña, Paola Escobar

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street comes this moving picture book about the perils of perfectionism.

Lucas goes to the perfect school in the perfect neighborhood. And when he gets perfect grades, he feels like he fits right in.

But life at home is not so perfect. His dad’s old work truck keeps breaking down. His mom works long hours at her job at the diner. And Lucas has to share his small room with his baby sister.

One night, Lucas is awakened by a strange light, which he follows all the way to the place where the perfect people live. Everything there is more beautiful than he could have imagined. But the longer Lucas stays, the more he wonders what it really means to be perfect. Does it mean never making mistakes? Does it mean rejecting his bustling neighborhood and his loving family? And what’s so great about being perfect, anyway?

From award-winning talents Matt de la Peña and Paola Escobar comes this heartwarming, uplifting picture book about a boy, at home in two worlds, discovering what it means to be at home with himself.

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