Broken! A Cover Reveal and Conversation with X. Fang

Earlier this week I posted my Spring Prediction Edition of the Newbery/Caldecott winners of 2026. Faithful readers may recall that I happened to mention that there was a certain X. Fang book that I wanted to include, but since I hadn’t yet revealed its cover, I felt unable to do so.

That ends today.

I will confess to you that on the sly, I shared a PDF of today’s book with some of my children’s librarians. The only accurate way to describe their reactions to it would be to compare them to kittens on catnip. They got the zoomies. They are so excited for this book that when they found out that the publication date is October 14th they fell into a serious funk. Imagine full grown adults whining, “But I want to do a storytime with it nooooow!”

I now wish to make you just as frustrated as they are. But in a way, you will have it worse, because today I’m not only premiering the cover of Broken by X. Fang, I’m in conversation with her as well. Ever since I first laid eyes on Dim Sum Palace, I realized that this was a creator to reckon with. Last year’s We Are Definitely Human only reinforced that sentiment. Today, we are treated to a third masterpiece.

Here’s the publication description, should you be curious:

“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.”

If picture book characters could get acting nominations ala the Oscars, Mimi the cat would clean up in the Best Supporting Actress category.

And now, a word or two with the creator:

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Betsy Bird: Thank you so much for joining me today and for answering some of my questions! Previously the two picture books that you’ve done were DIM SUM PALACE (a fever dream of deliciousness and giant dumplings) and WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN (a fish out of water tale involving aliens). BROKEN, in comparison, is a much more realistic tale than its predecessors. Can you give us a little info on its origin story?

X. Fang: Hi, Betsy! Thank you for having me.

A few years ago, I became fascinated with juci, the Chinese art of ceramic repair using tiny staples, and kintsugi, the Japanese art of ceramic repair with lacquer and gold leaf. I love the philosophy of both practices – repairing a broken object but, rather than hiding the cracks, you highlight them because there is beauty in imperfection. And an object’s history is worth celebrating. This got me thinking about my grandparents, who were constantly repairing and mending – not for the sake of an artform – but because they were incredibly frugal (as people who lived through war often are). The result was a home filled with well-used objects that all had a story to tell.

BB: The palpable waves of guilt when Mei Mei realizes that someone else is going to shoulder the blame for her crime are fantastic. It reminded me of some other picture books of guilt and confession. Did you have a specific incident drawn from your own life as you wrote it? 

X. Fang: I have broken many things but have only confessed to breaking a few things. There wasn’t a specific incident that inspired this book, but rather a strong memory of that feeling of guilt. That feeling of guilt is SO STRONG for a young kid because it’s such a new feeling and they must learn to work through it for the first time, too! I was very much drawn to that inner struggle.

BB: And along those lines, Mimi the cat’s stare gives the book a kind of Tell-Tale Heart feeling at one point. Then there’s this little final caveat you include that is VERY cat. So I gotta ask it. Do you own a cat yourself? There was a lot of reality to this critter.

X.Fang: I am a dog person. I don’t have a cat, never owned a cat. In fact, I am mildly allergic to cats. But I find cats fascinating in the same way some people find The Real Housewives fascinating: they are unpredictable and wild and I can’t look away! I also have a lot of friends with cats. My brother has two cats, so I hear about all sorts of cat shenanigans. I don’t think the story would be as believable if Mimi was a dog because dogs are too good. (I say this as my dog Pam is currently stealing food from out of my toddler’s hand.)

BB: Well, good at heart maybe. I’ve never had a chance to ask you and I’ve always wondered. What kind of medium do you work in for your picture books?

X. Fang: I draw everything with graphite pencil on paper. Then I scan it and color it digitally.

BB: Finally, what else are you working on these days? What’s next for you?

X. Fang: I’m currently illustrating a story written by the great Mac Barnett – or should I say, Ambassador Barnett – about a trickster sheep named Tom Nancy. The story is hilarious and I’m finding a lot of inspiration from Grant Wood’s painting for the art. I can’t wait for the world to see it!

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Grant Wood + Mac Barnett + trickster sheep? Book doggone sells itself.

Huge thanks to X. Fang for taking the time to answer my questions today. And behold! You get to see a beautiful cover now:

Thanks too to Evan Munday and the team at Penguin Random House Canada. Broken is, as I mentioned, out October 14th so be sure to get your pre-orders in now. Trust me. You won’t want to forget this.

Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2025, Interviews