My Friend, Failure

This children's book shares the story of a boy who sets out to become the first kid to land on the moon. Stumbling at his first attempt, the boy meets failure face-to-face and becomes its friend. As the boy and his new friend work together on a second try to reach the moon, the boy learns one of the most valuable lessons a child can learn: the power of embracing failure with a growth mindset.

Anthony DeThomas wanted to share a story about overcoming setbacks after his own startup stumbled. While his company was unsuccessful, he now applies the entrepreneurial lessons he learned to helping large companies develop new products and services as an innovation consultant with Peer Insight. With a background as a congressional speechwriter, he was excited to tell this story but wanted the people who would ultimately be using the book, students and teachers, to be a part of the creation process. The result is a book grounded in what users need, with hints of some of Anthony's favorite things, like science, product design and outer space.