The Garden of Broken Things by Freya Blackwood
(HarperCollins Australia)
Inside the 2025 CBCA Shortlist
2025 CBCA Shortlist
Freya Blackwood is one of our most accomplished and highly regarded picture book creators. Two of her books are shortlisted in the 2025 CBCA Picture Book of the Year category: The Garden of Broken Things (published by HarperCollins), which we will have a close look at here, and Afloat, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, with text by Kirli Saunders (published by Little Hare).
The Garden of Broken Things is a masterfully composed, metaphorical tale that helps children understand both the value of the old and the young. It is told age-appropriately in tender words and watercolour, pencil and pastel.
‘Deep in the undergrowth,
past all the twisted,
rusted things …
… the cat found a lap.’ (The Garden of Broken Things)
Author/Illustrator Interview: Freya Blackwood
Congratulations on both The Garden of Broken Things and Afloat being CBCA shortlisted, Freya, and thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog.
Your books have been awarded in the CBCA and other awards many times. When else have you had more than one book CBCA shortlisted in one year and what were those books?
2015 – 3 books on shortlist (Go to Sleep, Jessie!, My Two Blankets, The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present)
2014 – 2 books on shortlist (Banjo and Ruby Red, The Treasure Box)
2012 – 2 books on shortlist (Look a Book, The Runaway Hug)
The Garden of Broken Things is such an evocative title and perfect for this book. How do you introduce this place in your story?
I can’t resist an aerial view to introduce a scene. It can show so much all in one shot, and hopefully encourages readers to zoom in and look deeply.
What do you love and admire about Sadie?
Sadie reminds me of my daughter at that age. She just rolls with things, chats her way through tricky situations and adds light to potentially dark situations.
In the book, how do you show the importance of play? Curiosity? Courage? Kindness?
In this book play is so all encompassing that none of the kids notice the time passing and night falling. Without curiosity there would be no story, and kindness and courage literally brings someone who has fallen into neglect back to life.
The Garden of Broken Things causes a profound emotional reaction in its readers. What elements of the story do you think cause this?
I hope that readers makes the connection between the story on the half title and title pages and the woman sitting on the bench, and can understand the intense loneliness and sadness she must feel, or felt. And something as simple as human connection, Sadie sitting on the bench and sharing her day, can bring about wonderful life changing consequences.
What ‘gaps’ have you left for children to think about themselves or what might children discover in this story?
I haven’t made it clear what happens to the woman. Stories without a clear ending, that leave you thinking, always appeal to me. So there are plenty of gaps in the illustrations and text where readers can make assumptions. I’ve had quite a few adults ask me if there’s been a printing error on the page where the old woman is looking upwards and surrounded by white. It was planned that way!
Where and why have you included humour?
Sadie’s chatting throughout the entire book was a way for me to have text in the story while the illustrations told another part of the story. Her stories hopefully help to alleviate any fear and to build associations with readers’ own stories.
What impact has your books being recognised as CBCA awarded had on you or your books?
The CBCA shortlistings and awards my books have received has been instrumental in allowing me to work solely as a picture book illustrator. My books have never been commercial, but having books on the CBCA shortlists have meant the books still have an audience, especially in schools. And providing a wide range of books that introduce new ideas, themes and issues in schools is obviously hugely important. It’s a huge honour to have a book receive that recognition and be trusted to be used in this way.
(Joy Lawn, in association with Dmcprmedia)
The Garden of Broken Things at HarperCollins Australia
Review of The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood at Paperbark Words
The Unwilling Twin by Freya Blackwood at Paperbark Words
The Feather by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood at Paperbark Words
(Thanks to HarperCollins for the review copy of The Garden of Broken Things.)
paperbarkwords.blog 
2 thoughts on “The Garden of Broken Things by Freya Blackwood”