The Garden of Broken Things

From award-winning author and illustrator Freya Blackwood comes The Garden of Broken Things, a heartfelt 2024 picture book about compassion, curiosity, and the quiet beauty of forgotten places. When Sadie follows a mysterious cat into the overgrown yard behind Number 9, Ardent Street, she discovers a hidden world brimming with rusted memories and gentle surprises. At its heart lies a woman bent with time, and the cat resting peacefully in her lap. Together, Sadie and the woman begin to uncover the stories behind the broken things and find connection through the simple act of listening.

Educational Benefits

• Encourages emotional literacy by exploring themes of empathy, compassion, and ageing.
• Promotes visual literacy through Freya Blackwood's expressive, atmospheric illustrations.
• Stimulates curiosity and imaginative thinking through a gentle narrative journey.
• Offers opportunities for discussion around memory, community, and the value in the old and forgotten.

Classroom Ideas

• Use as a prompt for students to write or illustrate their own 'garden of broken things'.
• Explore intergenerational relationships and storytelling through classroom discussion or role-play.
• Encourage visual analysis of the illustrations to infer mood, setting, and character emotions.
• Integrate with sustainability or upcycling units by exploring the idea of broken items having new purpose or beauty.

Information

• CBCA Notable Book 2025 - Picture Book of the Year.
• Author/Illustrator: Freya Blackwood - HarperCollins Australia, May 2024.
• Hardcover, 32 pages; ISBN: 9781460757550; Age guide: 3+ years.