A good book for learning about compromise and knowing that things don't always go to plan. Too long for a storytime, but could be a great option to suggest to parents or teachers!

Such a cute little book. I loved the illustrations, so vivid and colourful. Even when things don't go to plan, we can always find something good in the outcome. This would be good for class visits or older children with longer attention spans.

This was such a cute and fun story to read! My preschoolers loved following Spike and Roscoe’s camping adventure. There is always a silver lining, even when a gray cloud is hovering over. Beautiful illustrations that captured my kiddo’s attention. You could feel and see the emotions of what was going on between the two.

** Thank you, NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight, and Jan Chapman for an eARC copy of ‘This Was Not the Plan’.

This book is fun and reflective for children and parents alike. Finding the good in all situations, even when our plans don't go the way we planned. The font, illustrations, and layout of the book were well thought out and eye catching.

Friends Spike, a bear, and Roscoe, a rabbit, are going camping! Bear is a planner and has the whole trip mapped out, but unfortunately things don't go quite as he expects. Luckily, Roscoe is there to help him adjust and make the best of things--leading to a beautiful surprise and lots of fun memories. Young readers will undoubtedly recognize Chapman's charming illustrative style from her and Karma Wilson's Bear series, and are sure to enjoy the art. The story itself is lighthearted while exploring themes of friendship, coping with change, making adjustments, and optimism.

This is a wonderful story to open up conversations with children who have rigid thinking. Sometimes things go to plan; you can get upset, or with a shift in your thinking you can be happy with what did happen. Cute story and great lesson.

My kids and I love the Bear book series by Jane Chapman and this new book was no less delightful! I will definitely be looking to get a physical copy to read with my kids.

Jane Chapman's illustrations shine in this picture book. I loved examining the little details. While I found the title to be too dialogue heavy for my tastes for storytime, I know it'll be popular with my library families for its positive message, humor and illustrations.

This beautifully illustrated book is a joyful reminder that even the best-laid plans don’t always go as expected—and that’s often where the magic happens. Through its charming story, it encourages readers to embrace unexpected surprises, adapt to change, and find the bright side when things don’t go quite as planned.

The artwork adds warmth and personality to every page, enhancing both the humor and heart of the story. One standout moment for us was the moose’s bum page, which gave us (my 5 year old and I!) an extra hard laugh and perfectly captured the book’s playful spirit.

This Was Not the Plan by Jane Chapman is a beautifully illustrated story with a gentle but meaningful lesson on optimism and flexibility.

This story follows Spike the bear, who has everything planned out perfectly—until things don’t go as expected. With the help of his friend Roscoe, he learns that sometimes Plan B can be even better than Plan A.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and really bring the story to life. They add warmth and emotion to each page and make it especially engaging for young readers.

One of my favorite details was the optimistic bunny. I loved how that one little character added such a steady thread of positivity throughout the story.

The message is simple but powerful: plans can change, and that’s okay. It’s a great way to open conversations with children about disappointment, flexibility, and finding joy in unexpected moments.

This would be a wonderful read for ages 3–7, especially for children who struggle when things don’t go as planned.

I received a complimentary ePub and was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

#ThisWasNotThePlan #JaneChapman #RegencyfanMichelle #ChildrensBooks #PictureBooks

What a cute story. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Bear and bunny go on an adventure but things don’t go as planned. Bear gets upset but bunny is laid back and things turn out just fun. Great pictures and overall theme.

I absolutely adore Jane Chapman and her bear stories, so the moment I saw this one on NetGalley, I had to request it. And oh my… I laughed so much. I have a feeling my kids will grow up, and I’ll still remember how hard I laughed in the middle of this book.

At some point I realized why it hit me like that: the bear and the hare are basically me and my husband. The bear sticks to the plan and gets genuinely upset when things go wrong (even a perfectly imagined rainbow hammock fails him!), while the hare (well, that’s me!) lives by a Pollyanna mindset, finding joy in every mishap, laughing at muddy puddles and even a moose’s backside.
It’s such a delightful book - and truly not just for kids. I promise.

“This was not the plan” is a great story for teaching kids how to be flexible and make a positive out of a situation that does not go as planned. Roscoe (bunny) was a positive reminder for Spike (bear) to look at what is going right rather than what is going wrong. Roscoe showed Spike that plan a does not have to be the only plan. On top of the great lesson throughout the story, the illustrations went perfectly with the story! It was a quick and fast paced story that my 6 month old was able to sit through with no problems. A book I would recommend for all ages!

Jane Chapman’s This Was Not the Plan is a beautiful, cozy story about what happens when things don't go according to schedule. When a busy father’s work-filled day is interrupted by his son’s unexpected playfulness, the result is a touching shift in perspective.

Why It’s a Winner:
Relatable & Sweet: It perfectly captures the struggle of balancing "to-do lists" with the fleeting moments of childhood.

Stunning Art: Chapman’s signature soft, luminous illustrations make the characters feel incredibly huggable and the forest setting truly magical.

Important Message: It’s a gentle reminder for both parents and kids that the best memories often happen when the "plan" falls apart.

Final Verdict: A tender, beautifully told tale that celebrates family and the joy of being present.

This book was so sweet. I adored spike and roscoe, they were so cute and their little mis-adventure adventure was adorable. The illustrations were fantastic and really added to the overall story so much. We love camping as a family so my children and I greatly enjoyed having a camping book to read as theyre not very common it seems. The kids all loved it and read it again and again. There's also something very whimsical about the font used that added to the story and flowed seamlessly with the illustrations. Will definitely be purchasing this book once it comes to print!

This Was Not the Plan is a story about how two friends must adapt to changing plans on a camping trip. This would be a great resource for younger kids who struggle with compromise or disappointment. It would have been easy for both friends to become upset when their plans were ruined, but luckily one was able to see the positives and help his friend see them, too. The illustrations are very colorful and fun.

Thanks to Tiger Tales and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Spike and Roscoe are off to see a perfect sunset and go camping. Spike has his list/plan, but everything seems to be going wrong. Luckily, Roscoe sees the good in every thing instead of what is going wrong. They end up having a wonderful time and end up making friends in the end.

What a wonderfully cute story! I love the message. I can see how children can relate to this story! A definite must buy!!

A delight! The perfect tale of how our best laid plans can go awry and how to make the best of them anyway. Very silly and clever, kids will absolutely love!

A heartwarming story about friendship and seeing the positive when things go wrong. My boys enjoyed this story and loved the illustrations. It reminded us of the Bear books by Karma Wilson. A great book to read before you go on vacation with your family.

This is a story about two animal friends, Roscoe and Spike who go on a camping trip. Roscoe is a go with the flow rabbit and Spike is a bear who loves a good plan. Spike has a plan written on his list of the camping adventures, but nothing goes according to plan. In the end, they realize even though things didn’t work out quite how they wanted, things still turned out great (and fun). This is wonderful book for kids to work on their flexible thinking which is a key executive functioning skill (and can be difficult to some type A students - or adults). It can also help with maintaining a positive outlook, even if things aren’t what you’d hoped. 🐻🐰

As a school counselor and educator, I’m always on the lookout for great children’s book I can incorporate into my classroom lessons. This one fits the bill.

Gorgeous illustrations, especially the golden sunrise on the water. The bunny looked so cute, and the bear looked so fluffy. A wonderful story about going with the flow and enjoying what life gives you.

I read this book with my children , and it had their attention from start to finish. The story was funny and sweet, my kids understood the theme of the story, and at the end they took away a life lesson with them. They very much enjoyed the illustrations and the title to the book.

This book was a delight to read! Can't wait to share with the littles in the family. First the unlikely pairing of Spike (the bear) and Roscoe (the rabbit) was perfect. The big strong bear for whom nothing went right and the happy little rabbit who found the sunny side of every problem they encountered. What a wonderful message to let children learn Plan B can be just as fun as Plan A learning to go with the flow and make the best out of disappointment. The artwork was also so well done that it really brought the animals to life and you fall in love with them. Highly recommend this storybook for children to read.

Jane Chapman is one of my favorite picture book authors. All of her books are fantastic and This Was Not the Plan wasn't an exception. I love this tale of friendship and that sometimes the deviations from the plan are more fun when you do it with your friends.

A beautifully illustrated book with a great lesson. This book would be a great tool for helping kids deal with disappointment and things not going exactly as planned. My 4 year old and I enjoyed it greatly.

I love the concept of the book, but something fell flat for me. I can see a lot of great discussion with it though. The illustrations are really fun.

Sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover because this picture book by Jane Chapman proves just as hilarious as the cover suggests.

Type A personality and bear Spike has a Plan A for the perfect campaign trip, complete with extensive research, a detailed checklist . But Spike’s adventurous rabbit pal Roscoe knows that one plan’s failure doesn’t spell total failure. Perfect for kids with OCD, autism or a Type A personality — or grown-ups too, including those like me who went to parochial school before Vatican II when the sisters’ goal was to make every student a Type A personality. (Ask me about my beautiful handwriting and list-making.) Fun for everyone, even Type B personalities who never went to St. James School in Newark. Mark me down as the president of the Roscoe Fan Club!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Tiger Tales in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! I loved the pictures and the story! Everything that could go wrong, went wrong, But it is important to see the good in things, to find the silver lining.

Now I'm going to look for more books by Jane Chapman.