Beautiful Oops!
Singing Tom Petty at the top of my lungs
Embarrassing moment alert!!
Last week I posted a newsletter centered on John Denver, mentioning his lyrics and commenting on his whole vibe. EXCEPT, while I was posting about John Denver I was belting out Tom Petty. Singing Walls at the top of my lungs, reckless abandon on full display. OOPS. In my defense (but I do not deserve it, oh the shame) the lyrics have only ONE word difference:
JOHN DENVER SINGS “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones”
TOM PETTY SINGS “Some days are diamonds, Some days are rocks”
The songs sound nothing alike, the artists are not so similar, and yet. Facepalm. If you are wondering (because I was) Denver’s song was released on his album Some Days Are Diamonds in 1981. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers song, Walls (Circus), was released on their soundtrack album Songs and Music from “She’s the One” in 1996.
While nobody was looking (I hope), I went back in and edited my post to cover my glaring mistake, but the post was already OUT THERE. Sent. Published. In the wild. And though the long arm of the internet allows me to go back in time and make my post look flawless, it cannot yet reach into your private mailbox and mettle with your emails. I wonder when (if?) I will ever have that kind of overreaching power?!
For now, I will have to take comfort in the fact that this mistake reminded me of a delightful kids’ book that I am putting at the top of the round-up this week.
The moral of the story is that oftentimes when there is a mistake, there is also a silver lining. So often we get caught up in our embarrassment and forget to pause, face whatever mess we have made, and see what opportunities lie within. Sometimes a mistake will afford an opportunity to change, to take a new route, will open a new door, or to create a new picture (or in this case, a newsletter).
LIT TIP:
Do you have a book that your family reads so often everyone practically knows it by heart? Going on a Bear Hunt by Micheal Rosen & Helen Oxenbury is one of ours!
Next time you read it, make a mistake on purpose. Mess up on a word that you know your child knows. See what happens. In my experience, the child will correct you, they may even laugh and catch on that you are playing a game. Then you can do this on each page, letting them correct you each time.
You can take the exercise a step further and work together to look at the word on the page and talk about each letter that makes up the word. Pretend you need help sounding out the word and be impressed that they already knew it!
This game builds the connection between the symbols on the page and the words coming out of your mouth and is a great pre-reading exercise.
BEAUTIFUL OOPS! by Barney Saltzberg
What starts with a tear on the paper, becomes an entire universe of possibilities. I will never stop thinking of this book, it is one of those ones that keeps on opening, even long after you have closed the cover. With incredible illustrations, this book teaches everyone who reads it to approach mistakes as opportunities. Pure gold.
SQUARE by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
When Circle mistakenly assumes Square has made a self-portrait, she calls him a true artist and enthusiastically requests he make a sculpture of her. Not an artist, but not wanting to disappoint, Square sets out to sculpt Circle’s likeness. Things go less than perfectly. I am a little bit embarrassed (again?!) to list another Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen book so soon after my other post, but this one fit the theme so well and was a number-one hit in our household, I simply can’t help myself.
A LLAMA IS NOT AN ALPACA by Karen Jameson Illustrated by Lorna Scobie
Can you tell the difference between a llama and an alpaca? What about a turtle and a tortoise? A frog and a toad? This fun and colorful non-fiction book makes a game out of learning some key differences between commonly mistaken animals. My eldest, ever the perfectionist, loves to read it the first time and then memorize all the answers for each subsequent read.
LITTLE CLAM by Lynn Reiser
When little Clam doesn’t listen to (or is too busy to hear) the warnings his friends cry out to him, he finds himself about to be devoured, pecked apart by predators, staring death in the face. Does he get eaten? Or does Little Clam find a clever way out of his unexpected dilemma? It is a bit of a stretch, but the mistake in this book is not listening when those around you are crying out a warning. However, the way Clam gets out of the predicament is sweet and silly and makes my kiddos laugh. Plus there is a bonus cute little “tucking in” game you can play incorporated into the story.
AMY WU AND THE PERFECT BAO by Kat Zhang Illustrated by Charlene Chua
No matter how hard Amy tries, she cannot get her Bao to look perfect. Her mom, dad, and Grandma don’t seem to have any trouble, so why can’t Amy get it right? Amy doesn’t give up, uses her problem-solving skills, and figures out what she needs to make her own perfect Bao. You know I love a book with a recipe, and this one is also a heartwarming story with a truly loveable protagonist, that teaches children about problem-solving and resilience.
How do you encourage your child to work through their mistakes? Have you felt very embarrassed by a mistake you have made recently? What book titles do you love that help kids learn that it is OK to make mistakes?
Happy reading and see y’all next week!
Everyone makes mistakes but some people can’t seem to admit when they make them. I appreciate people who are honest and “fess up” when a mistake is made. And I love the children’s books you recommend that teach it is okay to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes!
Love this post! As a fellow writer I have made plenty of mistakes and my face still burns when thinking about them. I get especially embarrassed when I misspell an author’s name. I have two sisters who ALWAYS notice but hardly anyone else does. I love your spin on how mistakes can even be good!