A review by marylannireads
Ruby's Repair Café by Michelle Worthington

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

 

For years, Ruby and her family have owned a popular repair shop in town. Everyone comes to Ruby to fix broken things and give beloved items new life. However, when a big box department store moves in next door to Ruby’s Repair Cafe, everything begins to change. Instead of choosing to fix broken things, the townsfolk begin throwing items away and buying new replacements, causing the town's landfill to overflow. One fateful day, a storm blows in, causing the kind of damage that helps the town recognize and truly appreciate the benefit of Ruby’s Repair Cafe. This charming picture book is well suited to read aloud sessions for toddlers and preschoolers thanks to its lovely illustrations and succinct text. The imagery showcases Ruby wearing thoughtfully repaired clothing in her workshop juxtaposed against the shiny new objects found at Mr. Bigg’s department store. A diverse cast of characters fill Ruby's world, and their collective acts propel the storytelling. Even the endpapers are carefully crafted to reflect the intent of the book. The narrative is told through brief lines of text that describe a complex story using very few words. In only a handful of pages, this book invites young children to consider the impacts of both consumerism and environmentalism in a fresh, accessible way. This book is a lovely tribute to the power of community in a world that often forgets the impacts trash can have. It is a heartwarming addition to library and storytime collections for young readers.