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The Book of Mistakes

Author Corinna Luyken
Illustrated by Corinna Luyken
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Hardcover
$19.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Rocky Pond Books
9.88"W x 11.81"H x 0.5"D  
On sale Apr 18, 2017 | 56 Pages | 978-0-7352-2792-7
| Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile AD520L
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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.
© Corinna Luyken
Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of Abc and You and Me; The Tree in Me (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Indie Bestseller); My Heart (A New York Times Best Seller); and The Book of Mistakes (which The Wall Street Journal called “sublime”). She is also the illustrator of In the Dark (Aug 2023) and Nothing in Common, both written by Kate Hoefler; Patchwork (A New York Times and Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2022), written by Matt de la Peña; Something Good and Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse, both written by Marcy Campbell; and Weird Little Robots, written by Carolyn Crimi. She was raised in Oregon, California, and Hawaii; and studied dance improvisation, poetry, and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont. She now lives in Western Washington, near the Salish Sea, where she also likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. View titles by Corinna Luyken
“At once philosophical and imbued with adventurousness, this picture book lifts to the level of the sublime the idea of putting one’s slip-ups in perspective.”—The Wall Street Journal

*  "This will lead kids to see their own so-called mistakes in a new, more positive light."—Booklist, starred review 

* "The idea of setbacks being opportunities in disguise is no stranger to picture book pages, but rarely has it been illuminated with such style, imagination, and compassion."—Publishers Weekly, starred review 

* "A striking debut picture book celebrates the creative process...all rendered in a style and palette somewhat reminiscent of Erin E. Stead's work but distinctive in its own right"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Mistakes in art--as in life--happen, and Luyken shows young readers in a glorious way how they often lead to bigger and better outcomes than anyone could imagine."--BookPage 

"I will read this book to every group of students I teach for the rest of my career. ...This book is absolutely magical."--Colby Sharp, Nerdy Book Club

"This beautiful book, which celebrates the imaginative, playful spirit of an artist letting mistakes guide her work, is more than just an embracing of the artistic process, both messy and lovely. It's also quite the odyssey, one that takes readers on unexpected paths, opening minds and perspectives."--Seven Impossible Things

About

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.

Author

© Corinna Luyken
Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of Abc and You and Me; The Tree in Me (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Indie Bestseller); My Heart (A New York Times Best Seller); and The Book of Mistakes (which The Wall Street Journal called “sublime”). She is also the illustrator of In the Dark (Aug 2023) and Nothing in Common, both written by Kate Hoefler; Patchwork (A New York Times and Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2022), written by Matt de la Peña; Something Good and Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse, both written by Marcy Campbell; and Weird Little Robots, written by Carolyn Crimi. She was raised in Oregon, California, and Hawaii; and studied dance improvisation, poetry, and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont. She now lives in Western Washington, near the Salish Sea, where she also likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. View titles by Corinna Luyken

Praise

“At once philosophical and imbued with adventurousness, this picture book lifts to the level of the sublime the idea of putting one’s slip-ups in perspective.”—The Wall Street Journal

*  "This will lead kids to see their own so-called mistakes in a new, more positive light."—Booklist, starred review 

* "The idea of setbacks being opportunities in disguise is no stranger to picture book pages, but rarely has it been illuminated with such style, imagination, and compassion."—Publishers Weekly, starred review 

* "A striking debut picture book celebrates the creative process...all rendered in a style and palette somewhat reminiscent of Erin E. Stead's work but distinctive in its own right"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Mistakes in art--as in life--happen, and Luyken shows young readers in a glorious way how they often lead to bigger and better outcomes than anyone could imagine."--BookPage 

"I will read this book to every group of students I teach for the rest of my career. ...This book is absolutely magical."--Colby Sharp, Nerdy Book Club

"This beautiful book, which celebrates the imaginative, playful spirit of an artist letting mistakes guide her work, is more than just an embracing of the artistic process, both messy and lovely. It's also quite the odyssey, one that takes readers on unexpected paths, opening minds and perspectives."--Seven Impossible Things

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