Broken: A Guest Post by X. Fang

This sweet and touching story about emotions follows a little girl who learns about forgiveness after accidentally breaking her ama’s favorite cup. Warm, tender and informative, little ones will learn the power of honesty and communication in this gorgeous picture book. Read on for an exclusive essay from X. Fang on writing Broken, the picture book winner of the 2026 Children's & YA Book Awards!

 

A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book! • Join Mei Mei on her hilarious and emotional journey in this dramatic and tenderhearted picture book about guilt and forgiveness, from the acclaimed creator of We Are Definitely Human.

 

I’ve always loved the philosophy of kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing pottery. Rather than seamlessly repair a broken item, kintsugi artists highlight the cracks with gold foil because they believe that cracks and imperfections are worth celebrating, because those imperfections tell a story. Growing up, I watched my grandparents patch, repair, reuse all sorts of things (even things that you would instinctually want to throw away). They were not kintsugi enthusiasts; they were just incredibly frugal, like many of their generation who lived through war and poverty. The result was a house filled with wonky looking objects repaired by humble hands that had a story to tell. I always wondered what kind of story could be told through these inanimate objects, and that became the seed for Broken.

The initial draft of Broken was simple. Girl breaks her grandmother’s cup, grandmother and girl repair the cup, the end. I was an incredibly clumsy child, and broke many things growing up, but in pulling from my own experiences for the story, those big feelings from childhood returned. Even though I am now a middle-aged woman, I can still remember the feelings of guilt and shame I had when I was five and I broke my mom’s flower vase. I think these feelings from childhood stay with you because they are the first time you experience them: the first time you think about consequences, the first time you think about how your actions might affect someone else. It’s a lot to process for a small kid, but it also makes for a riveting story!

For grown-ups, life is somewhat predictable, we know what we should do, and, for the most part, we know the outcomes of certain actions. Kids, on the other hand, walk through the world with a newness and a genuine belief that things can go any which way. This is why I love writing for children, because it challenges me to see the world as they see it.

I hope Broken makes kids laugh, but I also hope it gives them an opportunity to talk about the big feelings brewing within their little selves. I hope Broken reminds grown-ups of their own childhood experiences grappling with inner conflict, and helps them see the kids in their life in a renewed light.

In a time when it’s easier to replace rather than repair, I think we can all learn something from the fixers and surround ourselves with imperfect objects that have stories to tell.