A recent article on Edutopia recommends twelve books for early learners about the importance of repairing the things they treasure.

In recommending these colourful and imaginative books, the Edutopia Weekly article notes that “no one would ever invest time or resources in repairing something that wasn’t physically, economically, or emotionally valuable to them”.

In a modern economy driven by replacement rather than repair, these books convey to the reader that repairing objects has value in the world. In these stories, “characters model ingenuity and resourcefulness, and each book addresses the corresponding social and emotional needs of a character when something is broken; they resource available materials and usually seek help from others to overcome their challenges and achieve rewarding resolutions”.

Preschool – Grade 1

·      King Leonard’s Teddy, by Phoebe Swan. King Leonard learns how to repair his toy, which leads him to a life devoted to fixing things for his community.

Preschool – Grade 2

·      Soomi’s Sweater, by Susie Oh. After a series of mishaps, Soomi’s mum mends Soomi’s beloved sweater with a patch from one of Soomi’s old sweaters.

·      Fix That Clock, by Kurt Cyrus. Showing the process of restoration of an old clock tower, and how the workers build in new homes for the wild residents on the site.

·      Monkey With a Tool Belt and the Seaside Shenanigans, by Chris Munroe (Preschool-grade 2)

·      The One Day House, by Julia Durango, illustrated by Bianca Diaz

·      Stanley’s Garage, by William Bee

Preschool – Grade 3

·      The Doll Hospital, by Kallie George; illustrated by Sara Gillingham (Preschool-grade 3). The author of this book offers a downloadable Dr. Pegs paper doll with accessories on her website.

·      Albert the Fix-It Man, by Janet Lord; illustrated by Julie Paschkis The turnaround in this story is that when Albert, who assists his friends and neighbours every day with their broken objects, becomes ill, his friend help him.

·      All the Way to Havana, by Margarita Engle; illustrated by Mike Curato. Some cars in Cuba are generations old, requiring owners to frequently and resourcefully repair their vehicles, in this case the daily father-son routine of repairing “Cara Cara”.

·      Me and the Boss: A Story About Mending and Love by Michelle Edwards; illustrated by April Harrison. Lee goes to sewing class and goes on to repair his torn pocket and the ear on his sister’s teddy bear.

·      Golden Threads, by Suzanne del Rizzo: illustrated by Miki Sato. A lost toy is repaired and reunited with its owner, building friendship between two girls.

·      Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention, by Pip Jones; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie. Izzy loves repairing things for her friends and family. In the story, she resources discarded items to create the “Tool-Fix-Recycle-O-Matic” machine.