It's Okay to Make Mistakes

June 15, 2014
Parr encourages readers to see mistakes as opportunities with characteristic elan.In his ineffable fashion, Parr delivers a reassuring mashup that's part Keith Haring and part Sesame Street. Parr's signature drawings with bold, black outlines and vibrant colors depict various characters making various mistakes and then making the best of the situations that arise from them. The accompanying text names those missteps and then shows the silver lining to each one on a facing page. For example: "It's okay to get dirty," reads one verso, and the facing recto responds, "A bubble bath is lots of fun." Starting with the cover art that shows a dog with socks on its ears and a child wearing boxer shorts like a hat, silly details abound to keep the message from overpowering the feel-good fun of its presentation. In addition to his trademark purple-, orange- and red-skinned humans, Parr includes a bevy of animals from dogs and ducks to skunks and elephants. Examples of "mistakes" range from genuine goofs (falling down, tangling shoelaces) to character traits (shyness), behaviors (losing one's temper) and developmental differences (not knowing an answer in school), but the "look on the bright side" response is always on-target.This picture book is A-OK. (Picture book. 2-6)

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June 1, 2014

PreS-K-Children and animals each make one of the 13 mistakes that appear on the verso of each spread. Socks are mismatched, an umbrella is left at home, and shoes are not tied properly. After the characters say, "Uh-Oh!" the scenario continues onto the facing page, where they are told that it's okay to make mistakes because, "you might meet someone new," "you can always ask for help," or "you can always clean it up." The bright, bold digital illustrations are outlined in black and set against colorful backgrounds, making the book perfect for group sharing and discussing.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
Preschool-G This appealing picture book assures young readers that it's okay to try new things. Each two-page spread introduces an action on the left page ( It's okay to fall down ), followed by a positive result on the right ( You can always get back up ). The repeating patterndilemma and resolutioncreates a nice rhythm for a read-aloud and provides a platform for brainstorming additional examples. Readers are reassured that these common experiences (spilling milk, not knowing an answer, being shy) can happen to anyone, and they will receive positive messages about confidence and empathy. Parr's distinctive cartoonlike illustrations feature vivid colors set off by heavy black outlining, and are large enough to be effective in group settings. Closely aligned to the text, the illustrations also add plenty of whimsy and humor. This selection will be equally effective for one-on-one sharing or storytimes, and it is sure to be just as popular as Parr's previous crowd-pleasers, especially The Feelings Book (2000) and It's Okay to Be Different (2001).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

August 27, 2001
Parr (The Okay Book) combines rainbow colors, simple drawings and reassuring statements in this optimistic book. His repetitive captions offer variations on the title and appear in a typeface that looks handcrafted and personalized. A fuschia elephant stands against a zingy blue background ("It's okay to have a different nose") and a lone green turtle crosses a finish line ("It's okay to come in last"). A girl blushes at the toilet paper stuck to her shoe ("It's okay to be embarrassed") and a lion says "Grr," "ROAR" and "purrr" ("It's okay to talk about your feelings"). Parr cautiously calls attention to superficial distinctions. By picturing a smiling girl with a guide dog ("It's okay to need some help"), he comments on disability and he accounts for race by posing a multicolored zebra with a black-and-white one. An illustration of two women ("It's okay to have different Moms") and two men ("It's okay to have different Dads") handles diverse families sensitively—this could cover either same-sex families or stepfamilies—and also on the opposite page, a kangaroo with a dog in its pouch ("It's okay to be adopted"). He wisely doesn't zero in on specifics, which would force him to establish what's "normal." Instead, he focuses on acceptance and individuality and encourages readers to do the same. All ages.