Everybody Makes Mistakes

by Christine Kole MacLean, Cynthia Decker (Illustrator)

After doing something wrong and being told to sit in his room, young Jack thinks about all the mistakes adults have made, such as the teacher sitting on his snack and the waitress mistakenly thinking he was a girl, in order to make a fair comparison and prove to his parents that no one is perfect.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2005

Reviews

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though he reminds his mother of mistakes other people have made, Jackson is still in big trouble for the “mistakes” he makes while playing with his little sister on Uncle Kevin’s wedding day. Comical watercolor illustrations feature some great facial expressions as Jack recalls everyone’s wrong-doings in detail. The suspense builds as readers wonder what in the world Jackson has done this time, and young readers will laugh out loud when the mistake is revealed. Use this as a fun introduction to classroom discussion on the title theme --“everybody makes mistakes”--and how we can learn from our mistakes.

[Allie Gearhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Level: 2.5

Everybody Makes Mistakes is about a young boy who always seems to be making mistakes, but finds comfort knowing that the adults in his life also make mistakes as well.

The characteristics of Everybody Makes Mistakes is pretty straight forward in that there are elaborate pictures on each of the pages, which help the story unfold. The pictures help the reader make connections to the words that are printed.

The organization of Everybody Makes Mistakes is unique for that of a children’s story. The author describes the repercussions of a mistake that the main character makes, but we don’t find out the mistake until the end of the story. The organization of the book takes a backwards approach that ultimately leads the reader to the reveal of the big mistake at the end.

This story could be a perfect mentor text for the beginning of the year, used in conjunction with the book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg. Together, these two books could be used to show students that mistakes are okay to make, and that the classroom is a safe place to use these. The books could lead into writing lessons and how as writers, we will all make mistakes, and that’s okay. The books can show the student that mistakes can ultimately lead to something greater with a little imagination and creativity.

[Literary Strawberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't think of many picture books that start in medias res, but that was the perfect decision for this one. Since we start with Jack already in hot water and slowly gain more clues about what happened through dialogue as the story goes on, I found myself legitimately invested in finding out what exactly his "mistake" was. Pretty simple story overall, but I enjoyed that formatting, and I thought the ending was cute.

[Kai Seifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book to read to the children
Funny illustrations

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

the overly simple title for this book says nothing for the superior character development contained within. although I have to admit that it likely was this very fact that lead me to grab it from the library shelf. the story itself is very well organized and makes the title point very well and uniquely. I really couldn't say enough about the mom. she cracked me up and seemed completely true to life. my favorite part was her stewing over jacks mistake while the camera and gifts fly off the roof of the car. the story may be a little to deep for my three year old to completely understand but I think he has a better understanding of what making a mistake is and the pictures definitely gave us plenty to talk about. it gave me the idea for futher need to expain that making mistakes or 'being bad' happens to everyone and all we can do is try really hard not to make any big ones. the moral being that even if we do we can still be loved. maybe a lot for a three year old to take in all at once but it's a nice reminder for a 28 year old.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that parents will enjoy, maybe even more than the kids! Jackson is a boy in big trouble but it doesn't tell you what he did until the end so my 4-year-old kept pestering me all through the book saying, "What did he do???" It was worth the wait.

Along with the ending, my children also loved it when Jackson remembered the time he had to wear his sister's pink bunny mittens and hat because his mom forgot to buy new ones to replace the ones HE lost. They loved when he was at a restaurant and the waitress thought he was a girl because he had longer hair. They loved when he carefully carried his perfect cupcake to circle time at school only to have his teacher sit on it.

[PacaLipstick Gramma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hilarious book! If anyone has ever had a child that is always "busy" ~ then this is your book!

As I read it I couldn't help but laugh out loud because the scenario was all too familiar. We have many pictures of, "well, I just wanted to cut my hair a little", "just dye it a little", "I just wanted to have a different look", or, "I was just trying to help"!!! (And it wasn't always the younger ones!)

A laugh out loud fun read.

[Rebekah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun book to read. I liked how the boy compared himself to everyone he knew and found someone he liked at the end of the story. The book just shows how people make mistakes.

[Courtney Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that teaches about mistakes people make, all people that is. Quick read, great illustrations.