The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes [Hardcover]

Gary Rubinstein (Author), Mark Pett (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 520L (What's this?)

Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake...

Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable–she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!

"The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is a must read for any young (or old!) perfectionist. Beatrice Bottomwell is perfectly imperfect!"
-Stephanie Oppenheim, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

"Beatrice offers a lesson we could all benefit from: learn from your mistakes, let go, laugh, and enjoy the ride."
-JENNIFER FOSBERRY, New York Times bestselling author of My Name Is Not Isabella

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book has become one of our favorite books to read together my girls and me. I would love to thank Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein for such an inspiring story.

I love this book... I feel it really helps to teach children, and maybe even remind adults that no matter how perfect someone may seem, that really every one makes mistakes.

A refreshing fable that assures kids it's OK to mess up once in a while -- but doesn't beat them over the head with the moral.

The mom's take: Gary Rubinstein's tale of a 9-year-old perfectionist is a refreshing fable that assures kids it's OK to mess up once in a while -- but doesn't beat them over the head with the moral. Mark Pett's gentle cartoon illustrations liven up even more the story of an ordinary-looking girl who clings to her image of being anything but ordinary.

The kid's take: When my 7-year-old son...finished, he sat with a thoughtful look on his face for a moment -- then reopened the book to read it through again. If that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is.

The best part of this book was the message sent. That you don't have to be perfect, that making mistakes is okay and you sure can have a lot more fun if you allow yourself not to worry so much about messing up.

Overall this is a great book that I'm sure my children will enjoy for the next several years.

There are about a hundred ways the story of a perfect child could go wrong. Fortunately, Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein don't fall into any of the traps. Instead, they offer a delightful picture book about a girl who has perfected perfectionism. Flawless.

I have to say, I was really impressed by this book. The story is cute and the illustrations are beautiful. Most importantly, it was a hit with the kids.

If there is one book you read to your little ones this year - this is it!!!

And this book is perfect for showing them how mistakes can be normal AND even funny!! Pett's illustrations are wonderful at capturing the feelings of the kids in the book - they are simple and yet full of emotion.

Thank you, Pett and Rubinstein, for showing us perfectionists that it's ok to NOT be perfect all the time!! Where was this book when I was a kid anyway!?!?!?


It's fun and instructive without feeling overly didactic and the illustrations are darling. Look for it in a book store or library near you.

this book was not only a great fit for my children to learn from, but me too. Let's face it we all make mistakes and we all need to learn how to deal with that. I make plenty...daily. My kids are young and I want them to learn it's ok.

I hope that there are more Beatrice Bottomwell stories on the way because my girls will enjoy them tremendously!

Thank you Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein for teaching the kids that you don't have to be perfect all the time!

We love this book!


this book might be one way to help them see that trying to be perfect can get in the way of having fun and being creative, and that absolutely no one is perfect.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is a fun book with an important message that never gets in the way of the good story. Elementary age children are sure to both enjoy and benefit from this delightful book.

About the Author

Writer and illustrator Mark Pett lives in Mississippi with his wife, two children, and a very old dog named Catfish. Every February, the family draws five random digits from a hat and travels to whatever zip code it makes. He has illustrated several books and is the creator of the syndicated comic strips Mr. Lowe and Lucky Cow. Gary Rubinstein teaches high school math by day and is occasionally a comedian by night. In addition to co-authoring this book, he has written two guidebooks for new teachers. He lives in New York City with his wife, Erica, and his daughter, Sarah.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; 1 edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402255446
• ISBN-13: 978-1402255441
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 0.4 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Self-Esteem & Self-Respect

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great lesson tucked into a fun book October 18, 2011

By FIRR-Kids!

Format:Hardcover

Beatrice Bottomwell is famous in her town, though most people don't have any idea of her real name. She is known simply as "the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes." Beatrice is ultra careful and methodical and quite enjoys her error free life. Still, solid perfection must be a lot of pressure for a little girl.

When Beatrice arrives at school each morning, she is perfectly put together, with her homework ready to turn in. She has won the Graysville talent show three years in a row with her juggling act, and feels quite confident about adding a fourth year to her name. Beatrice's little brother Carl is not famous, as his typical day includes a whole raft of mistakes. He eats his crayons (non-toxic!) and draws with his green beans.
On the morning of the talent show, something very unusual happens. Beatrice almost makes a mistake. While carrying four eggs from the refrigerator to the counter, she slips on a stray piece of rhubarb and .... airborne eggs! Scrambling, reaching, and grabbing - Beatrice manages to nab all four eggs safely to retain her title of the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. No shells were cracked, no yolks were spilled, and yet Beatrice can't help thinking of her close call. Could she make a mistake?

That night at the talent show, Beatrice performs her usual juggling routine. Everyone expects her usual perfection. Instead, there is a mishap that results in the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes standing on stage, soaking wet, covered in pepper, with a hamster flat on her head. This was her first mistake and it was a big one. Beatrice is shocked, the crowd is stunned.Then Beatrice starts to laugh - a mistake is not the end of the world.

I don't think any real attempt was made to disguise the obvious lesson, which is fine by me. Children need to learn to deal with failure. If they cannot grasp that concept, they will become paralyzed by fear, which will keeping them from trying new activities. After Beatrice's mistake, she starts living more carefree. Taking a page from Carl's book, she acts sillier and consequently has a lot more fun. Of course that is am important lesson for kids to learn. Who better to teach it than Beatrice Bottomwell and her hamster?

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For adults too -- so touching it's eerie November 19, 2011

By Zapatista

Format:Hardcover

I am an adult and I picked up this book because I saw it sitting somewhere while I was waiting for someone. This may sound overdramatic, but as I read the book, I couldn't help feel like it was also written for adults, for people--or women--like me. I guess it's the old saying that a good children's book will speak to the parent just as much as the child. I think I got a little flushed reading it, had to put it down, could feel myself getting emotional.

I have always been that girl, the one whose identity as a child and as an adult has somehow been wrapped up in how I "never" make "mistakes." I can't believe this book isn't already a hit among adults, passing it on to each other when something goes wrong at work, or in life, as a simple (and funny) way to say "hey, relax. you're really good at what you do, but everyone f***s up."

I think I'm going to buy a few copies, just to give to my friends when they start beating themselves up over something they did wrong. Thank you, to the authors, for writing this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from Books That Heal Kids April 3, 2012

By Books That Heal Kids

Format:Hardcover

I am an elementary school counselor and I teach lessons around the message that it's okay to make a mistake and we all make them. Most importantly - how to recover from a mistake! Kids are working hard everyday practicing and acquiring new skills in so many areas. Part of growing up is learning how to deal with making a mistake. This is a brand new book to my shelf so I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet. It's going to be a HIT. No doubt about it because of the empowering message. Kids need to hear it's absolutely OKAY to flub up because as we say in our school: Mistakes are opportunities for learning. Mistake DOES NOT mean failure or there is something wrong with you. Sometimes children get that stuck in their heads. You're going to appreciate this new one. It's well written with great illustrations.