Broken - by X Fang (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama's favorite cup, she's convinced it's the end of the world. What if Ama is angry? What if she yells? What if she kicks Mei Mei out of her house? Mei Mei can't face it. But when Mimi, the innocent cat who witnesses her crime, ends up being blamed, the guilt is too much! Mimi's accusing eyes follow Mei Mei until she just can't take it anymore, and the truth comes spilling out."--

Book Synopsis

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.

When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama's favorite cup, she's convinced it's the end of the world. What if Ama is angry? What if she yells? What if she kicks Mei Mei out of her house? Mei Mei can't face it. But when Mimi, the innocent cat who witnesses her crime, ends up being blamed, the guilt is too much! Mimi's accusing eyes follow Mei Mei until she just can't take it anymore, and the truth comes spilling out.

With vibrant and moody cinematic illustrations and pitch-perfect pacing, X. Fang's newest picture book is filled to the brim with comedic drama and the comforting sweetness of a grandparent's forgiving hug.

Review Quotes

A 2025 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year
One of Kirkus Reviews' 90 Most Anticipated Fall Books for Young Readers, 2025
A 2025 Heather's Pick
A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids of 2025
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2025
An NPR "Books We Love" Selection of 2025
A 2025 Kids Indie Next Pick for November/December
An NY Mag Best Kids Book of 2025
A Smithsonian Magazine Best Children's Book of 2025
One of the Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids of 2025
One of Pen America's Best Children's Books of 2025
A Children's Book Review Best Picture Book of 2025
A Brightly Best Picture Book of 2025

"Fang's illustrations are rich with color and texture. Cinematic framing and clever use of perspective draw readers into Mei Mei's inner world and show how a young child experiences difficult feelings, turning an everyday accident into a relatable tale of honesty, repair and love." --New York Times

"Fang makes room for both laugh-out-loud humor and moments of genuine empathy; rife with homey details, her softly rounded illustrations exude warmth. . . . A common childhood experience, conveyed with an uncommon mix of sensitivity, mirth, and heart." --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

"This flawless picture book teaches young readers that with honesty, love, and a little glue, there is no mistake too big to fix. Fang is back with a heartwarming tale of a universal childhood (and adulthood) experience: breaking something important. . . . This is a perfect fit for SEL ­lessons about owning up to one's mistakes and ­asking for forgiveness. A must-buy and ideal read-aloud for all libraries." --STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

"Broken, yet another winning picture book by author/illustrator X. Fang, describes a passionate, child-centered experience that includes boredom, crisis, redemption, and . . . cake!" --STARRED REVIEW, Shelf Awareness

"Peace settles over the living room with the understanding that objects and trust alike become more precious for having been lovingly mended." --Publishers Weekly

"Digitally colored pencil drawings convey the high drama of a child's emotions . . . Fang's story is laced with humor[.]" --The Horn Book

"In illustrations rendered with fine-lined shading, off-kilter angles, and pleasantly chunky figure design, Fang wryly taps into a childlike sense of anxiety and fear of consequences, as well as the relief of forgiveness and unconditional love. Mei Mei's emotional roller coaster is comically but unmistakably telegraphed in Fang's depictions of faces and gestures, and kids who need a reminder that accidents happen will be especially heartened by the warm resolution." --Booklist

"Balancing visual humor with tenderness, Fang has crafted a tale that ultimately reassures while provoking genuine giggles." --Mahnaz Dar, Kirkus Reviews

"Broken is about the unbreakable bond between a grandmother and her grandchild, and also the reassuring truth that many things that are broken can be repaired." --Imaginary Elevators

"The impeccable pacing of the back and forth, laugh-out-loud stare-off between Mei Mei and Mimi heightens the tension of the narrative as the little girl's growing guilty conscience urges her to tell the truth. A touching ending with grandmother and grandchild fixing the broken cup together reminds readers that 'every patch and every repair tells a story' and that love is built on honesty and forgiveness." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"X. Fang is now three for three in the absolutely terrific picture books department. . . . I cannot wait to do this story in storytime." --Mr. Brian's Picture Book Picks

"Broken is a gentle story of a little girl with big feelings rendered in soft layered colored pencil. This story is simple, but soothing, and a reminder that what's broken can always be fixed (and to perhaps not trust cats, who are always up to something)." --The Southern Bookseller

About the Author

X. FANG is a visual artist and maker of books for young readers, including Dim Sum Palace, winner of the 2023 Society of Illustrators' Dilys Evans Founder's Award among other honors, and We Are Definitely Human, an Ezra Jack Keats Illustration Award winner, an American Library Association Notable Children's Book, an Indie Next Pick and the recipient of five starred reviews. She exhibits her art throughout the U.S. and internationally and has worked professionally as a graphic designer and art director for film and television studios. Born in Taichung, Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in rural Maine with her husband, son and their dog, Pamela.