I love this book.
(Just to reiterate, I do not love every book, and there are a great many I receive which never even get a passing mention here.)
But this book, I love. The funny thing is, I think I love it for grownups just as much as (or more than) I do for kids. In fact, it may very well become my go-to gift for anyone in my life lamenting an “oops”…a breakup, a missed job opportunity, an accident.
“Beautiful Oops!” by Barney Saltzberg is a colourful, tactile book which urges the reader: “When you think you have made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful!” Crumples, holes, stains and drips are all repurposed into something else in what has been called “a singular work of imagination, creativity and paper engineering.” There are pop-ups, flaps and folds for little ones to explore, leaving the grownup with time to reflect on the real message of this book.
What a wonderful way to teach our children, and remind ourselves, that it’s okay to make mistakes. Add this one to your list right now.