Mending Laura

When Laura, the flawless porcelain doll, tumbles from her shelf and shatters, she is sure that she will never feel whole again. But being repaired is only the beginning. The real healing comes from the friends that stay beside her. A tender and powerful story of courage, recovery, and the strength we draw from those who love us, no matter how many cracks we carry. In this beautifully crafted book, Laura discovers that broken doesn't mean finished...and that healing feels easier when someone holds your hand. The story tells the tale of Laura, the perfect porcelain doll, who lives a contented life on a shelf with the other toys. Suddenly her serenity is shattered when an accident sees her tumble from the shelf, smashing her porcelain. The family mend her, and put her back in place, but she no longer feels safe and happy. However, the other toys surround and support her in different ways, protecting her until she feels secure enough to begin to accept herself again. The book has been created as an entirely illustrated piece of work, including the text. The author has used cyanotype printing to create each page, and has added to the cyanotype images with pencil drawing, and pen and ink. The toys in the story are her own childhood toys. The book could be read as a straightforward story, or it could be a perfect tool to help children and their parents recognise emotions they might feel after an operation or injury, or when caring for someone else undergoing a traumatic experience.