"Anyone who enjoys the deadpan humour and art of John Klassen will love this highly relatable and vividly illustrated award- winning story of a little girl who finds the courage to own up to breaking her grandmother’s favourite cup and learns a very comforting and reassuring lesson."
July 2026 Book of the Month
It is no surprise to me that this book won a coveted New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, it relates such a recognisable childhood situation and is told with humour and a huge amount of heart and has such distinctive and powerful illustrations, with simply brilliant use of expression and perspective, using dramatic close ups, split pages and dramatic layout.
The simple and sparse text is authentically child like, as Mei Mei tells us what happened when she visited her Ama (grandmother). Feeling bored, she decided to tease Mimi the cat, but in doing so she bumped a table and Ama’s mug fell and broke!
She was so appalled she ran away and panels show us what she imagines Ama’s angry response might be. Instead, Ama calls her back into the house, the cup has gone and tea and cake are served. Mimi has been blamed for the breakage. Mimi’s judgemental stares are a joy to behold, and they get bigger and bigger, along with Mei Mei’s sense of guilt, until she cannot take any more, and runs to hide in the closet.
Once again Ama comes to find her and in a brilliantly visualised scene, we see the Truth literally forcing its way out of Mei Mei’s body. She confesses and bursts into tears. So many tears that she imagines the closet flooding. But Ama gently hugs her and reassures her that she is good at fixing things: ‘ every repair tells a story.’ They mend the cup together and Mei Mei gets to eat the cake that her guilt would not allow her to swallow before.
Every child will recognise Mei Mei’s dilemma and be reassured that adults might not yell or kick you out if you do something wrong; rather, they might understand and care. Tim Hopgood’s The Truth According to Arthur tells a similar story about the importance (and the rewards) of telling the truth, but Broken is particularly brilliant for preschoolers to whom the vivid illustrations will speak louder than words. A perfect book with a valuable empowering message to read aloud at home or at school.
A hilarious and tenderhearted picture book about guilt and forgiveness, from X. Fang, the award winning author of Dim Sum Palace
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A hilarious and tenderhearted picture book about guilt and forgiveness, from X. Fang, the award winning author of Dim Sum Palace When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama's favourite cup, she's convinced it's the end of the world!
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Broken and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-8 years old
Broken features in the following genres: Featured Books for 3+ readers, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Featured Books for 7+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Animal Stories, PSHE: Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem and Wellbeing, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s picture books, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s: picture books, activity books, early learning concepts
Hardback. £13.49, down from the £14.99 cover price. In Stock.
Broken was written by X Fang and published by Pushkin Children's Books
Broken has 48 pages
£13.49, reduced from £14.99. In Stock.
