How to Mend a Heart

October 12, 2015
Gillingham follows the tend-friends-like-plants metaphor of How to Grow a Friend with a book built around the idea that with “gentle hands, the right tools, and lots of patches,” one can fix emotional hurts. Her hero is a boy whose stuffed elephant has been torn to bits by a puppy,
and she shows him stitching the toy back together over
several pages. Smartly, the story emphasizes that this
process isn’t instantaneous or even permanent (the elephant suffers subsequent damage, requiring additional fixes),
but the message of hope and persistence comes through strongly, yet with a light touch. Ages 3–7. Agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency.

October 1, 2015
A young boy must sew his beloved stuffed elephant back together after his dog gets hold of it; Gillingham uses this as a metaphor for mending broken hearts. Unfortunately, the analogy does not work nearly as well as the gardening one in her previous book, How to Grow a Friend (2015). Children, who are literal by nature, will likely not see beyond the sewing of the stuffie at all to the larger point that lies beneath. To mend a heart, one needs gentle hands, the right tools, patches, and plenty of thread. Stitch by stitch, a heart can be mended, but you may need to fix it more than once, and if you hit a snag, look for helping hands. In the end, Gillingham writes that "the more patches and seams there are] // the bigger and stronger a heart can be," a dubious claim whether one is talking about children's hearts and feelings or a stuffed friend who has been repaired multiple times. Round-headed, rosy-cheeked, racially diverse tykes are the helping hands surrounding and supporting the redheaded boy at the center of the tale. Sewing implements, many of which may be unfamiliar to young readers, abound. Heartbreak is a tough concept for young children to comprehend, and this metaphor doesn't make it any easier. (Picture book. 4-8)

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December 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-With his favorite toy in tatters on the floor, a little boy sits tearful and alone. Sympathetic friends come to his aid, and a sewing metaphor outlines the steps needed to mend not only a torn stuffed animal but also a broken heart. This loving endeavor requires "gentle hands" and "one stitch at a time" patience. A circle of "helping hands" offer support. Some of the analogies between sewing and heartbreak will require explanation, such as "the more patches and seams there are the bigger and stronger a heart can be." Gillingham's woodcut illustrations are full of eye-catching swatches of color, patterns, and shapes. The diverse bunch of children wear their hearts on their sleeves, with emotions ranging from wide-eyed concentration to head-in-hands frustration to joyful contentment. VERDICT Despite some oblique references, this is a lyrical lesson in friendship.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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