The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein

Beatrice Bottomwell is known by people in her town as “the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes”. The day of the talent show- which she had won 3 years in a row- Beatrice almost makes a mistake at school. She then can’t stop thinking about her almost mistake. She becomes worried about making a mistake at the talent show.

Before performing, Beatrice is very nervous. Someone from the audience yells, “That’s her! That’s the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes!” When the music starts, Beatrice starts juggling: her hamster, a salt shaker, and a water balloon. As she is juggling, she realizes she grabbed the pepper shaker instead of the salt. Her hamster sneezes, bursts the water balloon and everything lands on Beatrice’s head.

She isn’t sure how to respond. Cry? Run off the stage? Finally, Beatrice starts to laugh. The audience joins her and roars with laughter. The next day, she makes purposeful “mistakes” like wearing not matching socks. People don’t call her “the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes” anymore. They just call her Beatrice.

This thoughtful picture book is a great example of how our family uses books for bibliotherapy. To be clear, we do not treat mental or psychological disorders ourselves at home. We do use books, however, to address issues that our children are having to help them see it in another light- and to start conversations about it. We have a child that struggles greatly with perfectionism and were seeking books to help this child see things from the other side.

This book perfectly (no pun intended) fits the bill. It is realistic enough to be easily relatable, but has just the right amount of humor to keep things light. Beatrice is endearing and accessible. What a wonderful resolution to have her let go of the burden of perfection and enjoy time making mistakes ice staking with her friends. The illustrations pair beautifully with this sweet and purposeful story.

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1. How did Beatrice feel after she almost made a mistake at school? Did this help her in any way?
2. Did Beatrice respond well to her big mistake?
3. How do you respond to mistakes, big or small?
4. Is it okay for us to make mistakes, even big ones?
5. Who is the only person who lived that has been perfect? Why is that good news for us?