Mei and the Oops That Grew

Mei and the Oops That Grew

by

Patches the Story Dog

Patches the Story Dog

for your Preschooler

Preschooler The Oops That Grew Social-Emotional Lessons

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Mei stands in the middle of her bright, cozy art room, smiling with her arms spread wide. Her little wooden table is in front of her with her favorite sketchbook open on it. Jars of colorful paint line the table, stacks of soft paper sit nearby, and a wobbly block tower stands to the side. In the background, a sunny window lets warm golden light spill across the art room walls, which are decorated with taped-up drawings.

Mei loved her art room. It was bright and warm. Sunshine came through the window and fell across her little wooden table. Jars of paint sat in a row — red, blue, yellow, and purple. Stacks of soft paper waited. Blocks waited too. Everything was ready for Mei to make something new!

Mei sits at her little wooden table, leaning forward with a big smile, holding a paintbrush dipped in purple paint. Her favorite sketchbook is open in front of her with the beginning of a purple flower on the page. A jar of purple paint is open beside her. In the background, the sunny window glows with warm light and colorful paint jars line the table.

Mei opened her favorite sketchbook. She picked up a brush. "I will paint a flower!" she said. She dipped her brush in the purple paint. Swish, swish, swish. The purple was so pretty! It was smooth and cool and smelled a little bit like rain.

Mei sits at her little wooden table looking sad with watery eyes, her lower lip poking out. The jar of purple paint has tipped over on the table, and a big splash of purple paint covers the page of her favorite sketchbook. Purple paint drips off the edge of the table. In the background, the sunny window casts soft light into the cozy art room.

But then — WHOOPS! Mei bumped the purple paint jar. Purple paint splashed across her picture! Splat! It went everywhere. "Oh no… oops!" said Mei. Her flower was gone. She felt sad. Her eyes got watery. "My picture is all messy now," she whispered.

Mei leans over her favorite sketchbook at her little wooden table, her eyes wide and her mouth open in a big, delighted smile. On the page, the spilled purple paint has magically swirled into the shape of a beautiful purple butterfly with big detailed wings, a little body, and tiny curly feelers. In the background, warm light from the sunny window sparkles around the art room, giving the scene a magical glow.

But wait! Mei looked closer. The purple paint was swirling. It was moving! It swirled and swirled into a shape. Two big wings! A little body! Tiny curly feelers on top! The spilled paint had turned into a beautiful purple butterfly! "Oooh!" said Mei. She giggled. "My oops made a butterfly!"

Mei stands beside her little wooden table, carefully placing a yellow block on top of a very tall, wobbly block tower made of red, blue, and yellow blocks. Her tongue sticks out to the side in concentration. The tower leans slightly. In the background, the cozy art room with paint jars on the table and the sunny window glowing warmly.

Mei wanted to build next. She stacked her blocks up, up, up! Red block. Blue block. Yellow block. The tower got taller and taller. It was the tallest tower Mei ever made! It wobbled a little. It wobbled a lot. "Careful, careful…" said Mei.

Mei sits on the floor of the art room with a sad expression, her legs out in front of her. Colorful blocks — red, blue, and yellow — are scattered all around her on the floor after the crash. A few blocks are still mid-tumble. In the background, her little wooden table with paint jars and the sunny window casting warm light.

CRASH! Down came the blocks! They tumbled and bumped and clattered all over the floor. "Oh no… oops!" said Mei. She sat down with a plop. "My tall tower is all gone." She felt sad again. Building was hard.

Mei kneels on the floor, laughing joyfully with her hands on her cheeks. The scattered red, blue, and yellow blocks on the floor have landed in a shape that looks like a funny little dog — two blocks for ears, three for a body, and one angled out like a tail. In the background, the cozy art room with warm sunlight streaming through the sunny window.

But wait! Mei looked at the blocks on the floor. They had landed in a funny shape. Two blocks made ears. Three blocks made a body. One block was a wiggly tail! "It looks like a dog!" Mei laughed. "A block dog! Woof woof!" Her oops made something new again!

Mei sits at her little wooden table holding a fat green crayon, frowning down at her favorite sketchbook. On the page is a wobbly, wiggly, squiggly green line that goes up and down and all around instead of straight. In the background, paint jars and stacks of soft paper on the table, with the sunny window behind.

Now Mei picked up a fat green crayon. She wanted to draw a straight line. She pressed hard and pulled the crayon across the page. But her hand slipped! The line went wiggly and wavy and squiggly. "Oh no… oops!" said Mei. "That is not straight at all."

Mei sits at her little wooden table, tilting her head to the side and grinning ear to ear. On the page of her favorite sketchbook, the squiggly green line now has two tiny dot eyes and a little smile, looking like a silly, wiggly, dancing worm. Mei holds the fat green crayon in her hand. In the background, the warm, bright art room with the sunny window casting a cheerful glow.

But wait! Mei tilted her head. The squiggly line looked like something. She drew two tiny dots for eyes. She drew a little smile. "It is a worm!" said Mei. "A silly, wiggly worm!" The worm looked like it was dancing. Mei laughed and laughed. "You are the silliest worm!"

Mei sits cross-legged on the floor of the art room, chin resting on her hands, looking up thoughtfully with a growing smile. Above her head, dreamy little thought bubbles show the purple butterfly, the block dog shape, and the silly green wiggly worm. In the background, the sunny window with golden light filling the cozy art room.

Mei sat very still. She thought and thought. The butterfly. The block dog. The silly worm. Every oops turned into something new! "Maybe," Mei said slowly, "oops is not so bad." She smiled a big, big smile. "Maybe oops is where the good stuff hides!"

Mei sits at her little wooden table, beaming with pride, holding up her favorite sketchbook to show a colorful page filled with drawings of the purple butterfly, the funny block dog made of red, blue, and yellow shapes, and the silly green wiggly worm — all drawn together on one bright, cheerful page with splashes of every color. In the background, the cozy art room bathed in warm sunshine from the sunny window, with paint jars and crayons spread across the table.

Mei turned to a fresh page in her sketchbook. She drew the purple butterfly. She drew the funny block dog. She drew the silly, wiggly worm. She drew them all together! She used every color — red, blue, yellow, green, and purple. The page was full of happy surprises. "These are my oopsies!" said Mei. "And I love them all!"

Mei stands in the middle of her bright art room, hugging her favorite sketchbook tightly against her chest with her eyes closed and a peaceful, happy smile. Around her feet, a few colorful blocks and crayons are scattered on the floor. In the background, the sunny window glows with warm golden afternoon light, and the little wooden table with paint jars sits nearby, ready for tomorrow.

Mei closed her sketchbook and hugged it tight. Tomorrow she would draw again. She would build again. And if she made another oops? That was okay! Because trying again is the best part of all. Can you try again too? Yes, you can!

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Preschooler The Oops That Grew Social-Emotional Lessons