A Wonderful Mistake Coloring Book

Coloring page story

Pipkin was a tiny mouse who liked everything to be neat and tidy. His cheese was always nibbled in a perfect circle, and his whiskers were never out of place. He was afraid of making a mess. Pipkin received a paint-by-number of a perfect red apple. The lines were crisp and clear. Number 1 was for the Shiny Red apple, and Number 2 was for the Little Green leaf. "I will be very, very careful," he squeaked to himself, holding the tiny brush in his paws. His motivation was to create a perfect picture with no mistakes. He dipped the brush in the red paint and began to fill in the apple, staying carefully inside the lines. His tongue poked out in concentration. He was almost finished when a fly buzzed past his nose. BZZZZ! Pipkin jumped in surprise, and his paw slipped. SMUDGE! A big red smear went right outside the apple line and onto the clean white background. "Oh, squeak!" he cried. "It's ruined! It's messy! It's not perfect!" He dropped his brush and hid his face in his paws, his perfect plan destroyed. He peeked through his paws at the horrible smudge. But then, he tilted his head. The red smudge wasn't just a smudge. With its two long ends, it looked a little bit like... wings. A tiny idea sparked in his neat-and-tidy mind. He bravely picked up his brush again. He painted a little black body onto the smudge and added two tiny antennae. The mistake hadn't ruined his picture. It had given his apple a beautiful friend—a red butterfly landing for a visit. Pipkin smiled. Maybe, just maybe, a little mess could be a wonderful thing.

Coloring page Age Appropriateness

This design is ideal for the 3-5 age group. The primary object, the apple, is a huge, simple shape that is very satisfying to color. The butterfly is also made of large, easy-to-fill wing sections. The cute, tiny mouse adds character without adding complexity. The concept of turning a smudge into something new is very empowering for little artists.

Coloring Page Coloring Instructions

Pipkin the mouse made a little mess, but he turned it into a beautiful butterfly! Let's color his picture. What color is a big, juicy apple? Red is a great choice! And the butterfly can be any color you dream of. You can even make its wings into a rainbow. Don't forget to give tiny Pipkin a color, too. He is so proud of his wonderful mistake!

Coloring Page Printing Tips

This page prints well in landscape orientation to give the big apple plenty of space. Use standard paper and a 'Normal' print setting. The bold lines will make it very easy for your child to see the different sections.

Recommended Tools

This page is perfect for finger painting! A grown-up can put a dab of red paint on a plate and let the child fill in the big apple with their fingers for a fun, sensory experience. For a cleaner activity, broad-tip markers are fantastic for getting that bold, apple-red color.