Perfect

A couple of weeks ago, I read “Broken” by X. Fang.


It is one of those books I kept thinking about while doing other things.

While setting up my classroom.

While watching my students work.

While noticing how quick we are to hide cracks.

Today, I came across another book that felt connected in a way I did not expect.

“Perfect” by Waka T. Brown, illustrated by Yuko Jones, introduces children to kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.

What I appreciate about both books is how gently they push back against the idea of perfection. In “Broken,” every patch carries history. In “Perfect”, Obaachan shows Miki that the cracks do not take something away. They add to it.

Kintsugi reminds us that repair does not mean pretending nothing happened. It means honouring what has been lived through. That feels like an important message for children growing up in a world that often asks them to get everything right.