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Oops! Step by step
A cute new book for author Mack, the author or A Hundred Kisses Before Bedtime & A Little Bite For You about trying new things
Baby animals are ready to try all sorts of new things. But . . . oops! What do they do when they fall down? They get up and try again!
A cute little book about taking first steps. For risk-takers ages 12 months and up, with a focus on the child’s world.
Baby animals are ready to try all sorts of new things. But . . . oops! What do they do when they fall down? They get up and try again!
A cute little book about taking first steps. For risk-takers ages 12 months and up, with a focus on the child’s world.
- GenresPicture Books
64 pages, Hardcover
Published March 24, 2020
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 15, 2020
Thanks NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review. A strange little book from European author Mack van Gageldonk, We read this through our US eyes, yet I think this book is probably better appreciated over in Europe. The book is for ages 1-3 year olds. For us the illustrations are simplistic but for little kids they probably are cute. The story simply follows different animals as they attempt tasks and eventually fail, by falling or some other physical issue. But the point is that despite failure they persevere thanks to their friends. Awfully different book.
February 23, 2020
This ridiculously long picture book aimed at toddlers is pretty weak. I thought the premise sounded cute, but the execution isn't great. And it's so long.
Yes, there are various baby animals failing at doing the simplest of tasks. But that's where the premise falls apart. Despite what the synopsis says, the baby animals do not "get up and try again". We just go from fail to fail until the last pages, where the lesson isn't about perseverance... but about having a friend there to "pick you up and give you a sweet little kiss". None of the animals try again, as far as I can tell.
The text is stilted and there's a missing word at one point (I chalk that up to the translation). The illustrations look a bit like the stuff I used to draw on the computer with Dr. Halo back in the 1980s. Don't get me wrong; it is possible to create decent art with the simplest of software. But these pictures just aren't great. Also, there are continuity problems throughout, starting with the very first animal, a mountain goat, who's trying to climb a rock. This episode continues over four pages... and the rock and sky are different in each one. (Copy and paste, for crying out loud!)
I just can't see one-year-olds sitting still for over sixty pages of monotony. I was thinking, "Is this ever going to end?" as I was reading. That's not the kind of reaction you want to elicit from your readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing a digital ARC.
Yes, there are various baby animals failing at doing the simplest of tasks. But that's where the premise falls apart. Despite what the synopsis says, the baby animals do not "get up and try again". We just go from fail to fail until the last pages, where the lesson isn't about perseverance... but about having a friend there to "pick you up and give you a sweet little kiss". None of the animals try again, as far as I can tell.
The text is stilted and there's a missing word at one point (I chalk that up to the translation). The illustrations look a bit like the stuff I used to draw on the computer with Dr. Halo back in the 1980s. Don't get me wrong; it is possible to create decent art with the simplest of software. But these pictures just aren't great. Also, there are continuity problems throughout, starting with the very first animal, a mountain goat, who's trying to climb a rock. This episode continues over four pages... and the rock and sky are different in each one. (Copy and paste, for crying out loud!)
I just can't see one-year-olds sitting still for over sixty pages of monotony. I was thinking, "Is this ever going to end?" as I was reading. That's not the kind of reaction you want to elicit from your readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing a digital ARC.
April 3, 2020
I was provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm just so in love with this little book. I'm in my late twenties and I really had to control myself not to go to the last pages to find out what message the book was going after. I loved the childlike anticipation I felt through the whole book and the way it made me smile and laugh. It's a gem.
I can totally see myself with my godchildren, reading the book to them, making them laugh and helping them with the message. I can imagine that it is easy to involve the book in the daily life, making hilarious OOps noises with the kids, if something didn't happen quite as expected.
About the book: In Oops! Step by Step you follow different animal children (little bears, penguins, cats etc.) through little, every day adventures or tasks, but something goes wrong every time - Oops!
I was a little afraid, that it would end up without a message, but it summarised everything in the end quite nice, without getting all teachy. Even though, I think it could have made a bigger impact with one or two more sentences. The description of the book says - they stand up and try again, but for me that part was missing in the real book. Still. I think it's a great book for our smaller ones and a great book to read aloud. I personally had so much fun reading it.
I'm just so in love with this little book. I'm in my late twenties and I really had to control myself not to go to the last pages to find out what message the book was going after. I loved the childlike anticipation I felt through the whole book and the way it made me smile and laugh. It's a gem.
I can totally see myself with my godchildren, reading the book to them, making them laugh and helping them with the message. I can imagine that it is easy to involve the book in the daily life, making hilarious OOps noises with the kids, if something didn't happen quite as expected.
About the book: In Oops! Step by Step you follow different animal children (little bears, penguins, cats etc.) through little, every day adventures or tasks, but something goes wrong every time - Oops!
I was a little afraid, that it would end up without a message, but it summarised everything in the end quite nice, without getting all teachy. Even though, I think it could have made a bigger impact with one or two more sentences. The description of the book says - they stand up and try again, but for me that part was missing in the real book. Still. I think it's a great book for our smaller ones and a great book to read aloud. I personally had so much fun reading it.
April 13, 2020
I really liked the idea of this book, that it is okay to fall/fail when trying something new, but don't be afraid to try again. When I read this book to my granddaughter, I felt it missed the mark. As much as the illustrations were cute and showed the animals falling, they didn't really show them getting up and trying again. My granddaughter laughed and thought the animals were cute and funny. We talked about laughing when someone gets hurt, because I don't want her to become "that kid" and she was sure the animals were okay. The message was saved for the end of the book and it was still a bit murky. To get the message across, you need to talk about the book and we read it again with that in mind. A cute book for a library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request, the rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
May 23, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book with my daughter. It teaches the importance of getting back up after stumbling when trying something new.
My only critique would be I would’ve liked to have seen the animals each get up after their fall and not just at the very end of the book.
My only critique would be I would’ve liked to have seen the animals each get up after their fall and not just at the very end of the book.
February 29, 2020
Get this out your local library, by all means, but don't invest in it for the home shelf, for it will have a very short period of use. We get a parade of animals all going about their business – walking somewhere, climbing something, exploring something, but then oops. They all miss the next branch, or fall down a hole, or go sailing over the waterfall, or die after hours of agony spent writhing in blood-soaked frenzy with a leg caught in a hellish, rusty bear-trap. OK, perhaps not the last one. It's a very odd premise for a book for those with very little language, for, as other reviewers have pointed out, it kind of misses out the bit where any of them get a chance to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and carry on. Yes, they all survive, but the book itself is just a gallery of mishap after mishap. The lesson then can only be "shit happens", not that you should try and clean it off and carry on stronger than before. Odd.
February 29, 2020
At first, I wasn’t sure if it was my version but the illustration was jarring and felt incomplete. Unfortunately, the art was a huge aspect and thus affected the read. I would have read this to my niece or nephew, but given the art style, I don’t feel like it would capture and hold their attention for the whole book.
Other than that, this is an easy book with simple art.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a preview of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Other than that, this is an easy book with simple art.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a preview of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2020
What an adorable book for the littlest listeners and one with a lovely message to boot. A number of sweet looking animals try to do things only to go...oops. As this happens repeatedly, toddlers will enjoy the anticipation and will soon be shouting oops themselves. The story ends with a lovely reminder that there will always be friends to pick us up!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this charming read. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this charming read. All opinions are my own.
July 18, 2025
Es un libro libro que normaliza las caídas (interpretadas como cometer errores).
Al final llega a que está bien caerse si se puede levantarse y seguir aprendiendo.
Si lo tomo muy literal, podría pensar que está bien para leerlo a un bebé que está aprendiendo a caminar y cuando se da sentonazos los papás lo acompañen con un UPS como en este libro. Dando un mensaje que no importa si caes ya que eso nos enseña a intentar otra vez.
Al final llega a que está bien caerse si se puede levantarse y seguir aprendiendo.
Si lo tomo muy literal, podría pensar que está bien para leerlo a un bebé que está aprendiendo a caminar y cuando se da sentonazos los papás lo acompañen con un UPS como en este libro. Dando un mensaje que no importa si caes ya que eso nos enseña a intentar otra vez.
September 21, 2020
Schadenfreude for children? I mean there's a vague message about people helping you back up at the end, which is weird because going in I assumed the message was going to be about trying again or getting back up yourself after failing, but mostly it's just animals failing. Also, not a fan of the childlike art.
January 23, 2021
Lots of animals, lots of "oops"s and a sweet message at the end about adventures, falling and friends who pick you up. On the small side so might be difficult to share with a big group at storytime but super cute.
September 22, 2021
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book didn't really entertain me that much. The pictures were cute but it was long. While I think the pictures would get a toddler's attention, I think it's far too long to hold it.
This book didn't really entertain me that much. The pictures were cute but it was long. While I think the pictures would get a toddler's attention, I think it's far too long to hold it.
Want to Read
February 21, 2020Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 14, 2020
This was a very cute book with great illustrations.
May 23, 2023
Great story with very cute animal drawings!
February 21, 2020
It is a cute little book for kids.
Cute little animals start on a journey to play and explore.
Then they slip and fall, although in a harmless way.
Type of fall after which you laugh for a long time.
It is a funny picture book for kids.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.
Cute little animals start on a journey to play and explore.
Then they slip and fall, although in a harmless way.
Type of fall after which you laugh for a long time.
It is a funny picture book for kids.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews