Help for getting over yourself

Beautiful oops! by Barney Saltzberg (823 Sa39B PIC BK) is a great little book celebrating the opportunities that arise when we make mistakes.

This small, interactive board book is not only for small children (recommended for ages 3 and up) but for everyone, because who hasn’t made a mistake?

The focus here is on art - and what to do when you drip paint, tear a page, leave a coffee stain, or make a hole in whatever project you happen to be working on.  The torn paper becomes the mouth of a crocodile.  Drips of paint become cartoon pigs driving away in a car. A coffee stain, depending on the shape, may become a hungry frog.  And the hole becomes an accordion-folded viewing ‘scope’ that pops up.  See what’s on the bottom layer.

The message, however, can certainly extend beyond the obvious.  We can all look for opportunities to make our mistakes into something else, into a beautiful something else.

The book is creative, fun and a reminder that everything in life doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect.  So, for all the perfectionists out there, this book is for you.  Relax.  Have fun with your (inevitable) mistakes.