The Book of Mistakes

Name: The Book of Mistakes
Author: Corinna Luyken

A story that explores hope and opens a conversation with your child.

★★★★★ Loved by families

Read the Guiding Questions Find this book →

♥ This book teaches: Hope. believing that things can get better.

Before, During & After Reading

Guiding Questions for Parents.

Definition: To be hopeful means to believe that something good can happen, even when it doesn’t look like it, or when it turns out differently than expected. In short: Believe that something good can happen. Summary: This clever story begins with a simple drawing of a girl that has a mistake in it. The artist uses the mistake to create something that works. Page after page, step by step, mistakes become the means by which to enhance the drawing. By the end of the book these illustrations become an intricate and extraordinary work of art. The author reassures us that mistakes can be useful, as long as we keep trying and don’t give up along the way. Lesson Objectives:

A fun way to explore this theme is to make a scribble, then try to turn it into a drawing and see what happens. Reinforce the theme by repeating the message, “mistakes can be useful as long as we don’t give up.” Make a poster with those words and some of the drawings.
Teachers lead students in a discussion in which students share about their own mistakes and respond to the question, did anything good come out of it?

Guiding Questions:

What was the first mistake the artist made, and what was done to make it better?
What did the artist add to the picture when the girl was too high off the ground?
What did ink smudges become?
What does “set your imagination free” mean to you?
“Some of the most beautiful things really do start out as little mistakes” - how does the book show this?
This story is about an artist who had the confidence to make something great out of the mistakes that were made. Are you like that or do you get discouraged when that happens? Explain your answer.
Can you think of a good thing to tell yourself when you get discouraged, so you don’t give up?
How would you encourage someone who makes a mistake and is discouraged?
Think of a mistake you’ve made, how you felt about it, and what you did afterwards.
Ask a family member the question in #9.

🌿 Virtue Connection: Hope means believing that what comes next can be better.

About the Story.

This guide is part of the Values & Virtues library, a free collection of 400+ book guides and activities organized around 12 core virtues for children from pre-K to 6th grade. Each guide includes Guiding Questions designed to open a real conversation with your child in 10 minutes or less.

Read-aloud video · Best with headphones

Find this book at your library or bookstore →

Hope · Family Discussion Guide

The Book of Mistakes

by Corinna Luyken

Guiding Questions

A fun way to explore this theme is to make a scribble, then try to turn it into a drawing and see what happens. Reinforce the theme by repeating the message, “mistakes can be useful as long as we don’t give up.” Make a poster with those words and some of the drawings.
Teachers lead students in a discussion in which students share about their own mistakes and respond to the question, did anything good come out of it?

Guiding Questions:

What was the first mistake the artist made, and what was done to make it better?
What did the artist add to the picture when the girl was too high off the ground?
What did ink smudges become?
What does “set your imagination free” mean to you?
“Some of the most beautiful things really do start out as little mistakes” - how does the book show this?
This story is about an artist who had the confidence to make something great out of the mistakes that were made. Are you like that or do you get discouraged when that happens? Explain your answer.
Can you think of a good thing to tell yourself when you get discouraged, so you don’t give up?
How would you encourage someone who makes a mistake and is discouraged?
Think of a mistake you’ve made, how you felt about it, and what you did afterwards.
Ask a family member the question in #9.

valuesandvirtues.org · Made possible by our supporters

The Book of Mistakes

Guiding Questions for Parents.

About the Story.

More Hope guides.

Ada's Violin

Anything Is Possible

Dream Something Big

Drum Dream Girl

Explore more guides for 3rd & 4th Grade.

The Book of Mistakes

Guiding Questions