Marvelous Mistakes: Accidents That Made History

“Perhaps you will find, in the messes you make, a masterpiece hiding behind each mistake!”

Everybody makes mistakes. Some mistakes go down in history . . . for all kinds of reasons.

This picture book takes readers on a playful, rhyming journey through eight famous mistakes made by historical figures. Some mistakes led to discoveries or new inventions. Others forced their makers down new, more successful paths. But every mistake highlighted in this book led to something good.

From discoveries born of accidents to careers reshaped by setbacks, these stories show that success isn’t always a straight line–and that even the greatest achievers mess up sometimes.

Marvelous Mistakes explores both the creative and scientific process, showing that success is not always linear and that even famous people mess up sometimes. Teaching history while encouraging resilience and a growth mindset, Marvelous Mistakes makes a great read-aloud for classrooms, libraries, and families.

“Encouraging guidance for turning errors into opportunities.” – Kirkus

“A novel structure makes the lives of historic figures accessible and applicable to a modern audience. A great addition to any children’s nonfiction collection.” – School Library Journal

“Her pictures make it even easier for fallible children to connect with the past and see the promise in the author’s main premise.” – Booklist