Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg is a vibrant and creative book that celebrates the mistakes that lead us on to better and beautiful things.
Sometimes striving for perfection gets in the way of actually getting anything done. Many children (and adults) go through stages where they don’t want to do anything for fear of making a mistake. Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg allows you to see the world differently. Why should a mistake be terrible? Mistakes are part of life. Mistakes have to be made. Mistakes should be made. There is beauty in your Oops!
The book is incredibly tactile and is impossible to read without touching the pages, bending and folding and investigating.
Barney Saltzberg shows you how to make the most of an oops! The tear in a piece of paper becomes a smiling crocodile, a spill of paint becomes a pack of dogs, a bird’s nest and then an elephant.
The bent corner of a piece of paper isn’t something to throw away. It’s something to celebrate and Saltzberg has crafted his into a waddling penguin.
We will be looking at every coffee mug stain with new eyes now…
A stain… has potential…if you play with its shape.
We love the sheep made out of a ball of scrunched-up paper. It is just too inviting and you have to stroke this cute ball of paper!
The message in the book is that you can look at a mistake as an opportunity to create something new, something better, something beautiful. It is even good to make mistakes, that mistakes are worth making and there is no need to be afraid.
Here is a fantastic video that takes you through Beautiful Oops! and gives you a real sense of how tactile the book is to read.
Talk about
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg is an inspiring book and easy to read over and over again. The whole book feels like a celebration of playing creatively and without fear.
The biggest mistake you could ever make is being too afraid to make one
Here are some ideas or questions that you might want to use to start a discussion in your family. You know your family and which questions they are ready to tackle now and which can be left for another day:
- What is a mistake?
- How does it make you feel when you think you have made a mistake?
- What do you think will happen if you make a mistake?
- Do you know anyone who you think doesn’t make any mistakes?
- How do you think you would feel if you never made any mistakes?
- What would life be like if you didn’t try anything new because you were worried about making a mistake?
- Do you think that making a mistake could ever make you happy?
- Why do you think some people are afraid of mistakes?
- How can making a mistake be beautiful?
Crafts and activities for kids
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg is a fantastic story to inspire children to explore their own creativity.
This is a great video of the author, Barney Saltzberg, with a Kindergarten class. It is worth watching to see how Beautiful Oops! allows children to play creatively and you will be singing “Shopping With My Dog” for the rest of the day!
- Read and Create Creative Play with Paint
- The Imagination Tree Exploring Textures in Paint
- Artopolis Beautiful Oops! Creative Mixed Media Project
- The Elemental Art Room Beautiful Oops! Creative Artwork
- Art Projects for Kids Watercolours and Lemon Juice
What have you been reading this week?
Lesley says
Love the title of this book ‘Beautiful Oops!’ and the message behind it. I am really enjoying the books you choose to review. Also thanks for your support with my blog.
Lesley recently posted…The Family Hour in Australia by Tai Snaith
It looks like a book all children will love. Now time to get my hands on it as my girls love it when i read them stories!
I have never heard of this book, but what a clever idea. I love the philosophy behind this.
Nikki Thomas recently posted…You can teach an old dog new tricks!
Lovely post - so true that you shouldn’t let striving for perfection get in the way of something wonderful
My daughter used to give up if something went “wrong” and I spent months working through the “oops” with her each time.
TwinsplusTwo recently posted…Fabed from the Beginning - Guest Post
What a brilliant book with a great message! Will have to look out for this one.
What a lovely lovely book, I must look out for this one.
Steph ( recently posted…Love Your Leftovers - Waldorf-Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps
what a fantastic book and concept! i love the big and colourful drawings in it too. x
jenny paulin recently posted…Parkdean Sandford Holiday Park (A review)
What a fantastic idea for a book…. Mistakes are a part of life, whether we like them or not and this book shows how to make the best of them and to try again….
Oh I love this so much. My son gets so uptight if something goes wrong - I am going to have to get this for him to show how he can turn it into a positive. Great post, thank you!
This is great and I am going to get it for Baby x
you baby me mummy recently posted…Is your baby a Puckababy? Your chance to win
This book sounds wonderful! I must pass on all these lovely reviews to my sister!
Michelle recently posted…Easy To Make Layered Cocktails with Rainbow Cocktail™
Just my sort of book - very clever.
Erica Price recently posted…Lisa Tucci Shoes
I LOVE this idea and wish books like this had been around when I was younger. It reminded me of a project I did for GCSE Art where I drew in the forms I saw when I folded paper in half and smushed a blob of paint. It was quick and easy and so much fun. Thanks for posting such a comprehensive review.
Aisha from expatlog recently posted…âDâya like dags?â
I wish I had know about this when Mini was younger. He refused to write as it wasn’t good enough. I have always been keen to show them that there are many ways of doing things
Jen aka The Mad House recently posted…Traveling with kids - Must have gadgets and technology
What a lovely message behind this, and such an important one too. My 4-year old is really hard on himself when he makes a mistake, even though we tell him it doesn’t matter. I’ll look out for this book, as maybe it’s just what he needs.
Grenglish recently posted…Limbo
What a fabulous little book; it’s so important teaching that mistakes are necessary and important from am early stage, especially as children can be so hard on themselves, wanting to do everything right. Someone once told me that a mistake is actually a ‘mis - take’, so simply try again :o).
older mum in a muddle recently posted…#One Week - Spring ’14 - The Last One?
What beautiful illustrations! You can get a lot of literacy activities from this book too
The Diary Of A Jewellery Lover recently posted…New In - Ladies Fashion From T.M. Lewin
I like the idea behind this, is very inspiring. A mistake as an opportunity to create, must remember that next time M/J/me do something we should not.
VaiChin recently posted…GUMI Pottery Party at the Minikin Emporium
What a beautiful idea; so many little ones get hung up on perfection. I love the sheep too!
Sara-Jayne recently posted…Praying the Contractions Stay Away… Britmums 2014.
what a fabulous book, lovely illustrations which is what makes me get these books for my little ones x
gosh I should read this to some of my gcse students. They are terrible for not wanting to get things wrong and taking a risk. It worries me that kids think perfection is important and don’t realise how much you learn along the way .
Emma recently posted…The view from my classroom
Love this idea, my two are going through a phase at the moment where they’re afraid to make mistakes, I think this book could help them see differently, love it
This looks like such a great book, I’m a grown up who is a real perfectionist, this spoke volumes to me!
What a wonderful idea. This must be what thinking out of the box means
What an amazing book and message! My daughter gets so upset if she makes a mistake and this would be lovely for you to read x
Keri-Anne recently posted…For him
I love this book. Some of our greatest inventions and discoveries have happened because of ‘mistakes’
This book sounds so wonderful - and I think it would be really helpful for T, because he is absolutely one of those children who will make one wrong mark on a picture and then have to abandon it and start again on a fresh page, rather than trying to incorporate it. Mr Perfectionist! It would be lovely to show him that an oops can be beautiful
x
Looks like a great book with a great message. Not heard of this one so will hunt it out.
Kizzy recently posted…Ham and Cheese Pockets
Georgie says
I’m with Jamie Lee Curtis on this one: it is a great gift for anyone of any age. Great review, thanks.
The pictures look delightful. My eldest hates making mistakes and this would be a good one for her to seem them in a different way.
Rebecca recently posted…Homemade Play doh Princess
What a wonderful looking story - the illustrations are beautiful
Kara recently posted…Kelo-cote Silicone Gel for Scars
Jackie Allum says
Sounds like a fabulous read. I’ll have to check it out.
What a wonderful book - a new classic I feel sure - the next Very Hungry Caterpillar. I do love the moral of the story at the end. It actually made me tear up (think I must be pre-menstral lol)
Vicky ( recently posted…The Road Less Travelled: Places to Go People to See - Things to Do In Manchester
Ohh what a fabulous book, thank you. I need to share this with my little Miss E, she is so hard on herself. Mich x
Michelle Twin Mum recently posted…Ghoulish Glasgow
What a fantastic book. Such a clever idea and such a nice execution
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What a brilliant book Kirsty, I love the idea behind it. Poppy would love it - like most of the books you review! I have some book reviews outstanding so I must crack on and link them up!
Claire @ Great British Family Blog says
Wow, I love this book. Thank you for sharing it and that video too. The book I’m linking up has the same moral!