Fail-a-Bration

K-Gr 3–With clever end papers illustrating the many hilarious ways we routinely “fail” (“popped the balloon,” “got stuck in a cart,” “cut your own hair”) coupled with a declaration on the title page: “Important things to know: 1. This book is a party. 2. Everyone is invited,” the creators set a light, festive tone that carries through the celebratory text and illustrations. The story begins with a simple question: “Have you ever messed up?” Readers will breathe a sigh of relief because, of course, we all have the same answer to this question. Intricately sketched and collaged illustrations make use of creative enhancements like string, icing, cookies, double stick tape, and more, and offer jubilant fails—a ridiculous attempt at icing a cake, for example. The festive images and bright palette underscore the bouncy rhyming text, yielding a lighthearted message that everyone sometimes needs: “When you mess up, it isn’t fun!/ Well, failing is part of a process./ It helps to remember you’re not done.” So, what to do? Have a Fail-A-Bration! Complete with an author’s note about the story’s inspiration and ideas for how to throw a great party, readers will agree: “Maybe if there were more Fail-A-Brations/ The world would feel a whole lot less alone.”