Potter Knows Best: Breakable Crackables (Audiobook)
Summary
Breakable Crackables is the second book in Cheryl McKay Price’s Potter Knows Best book series for little kids. In this book, the Potter’s granddaughter Daisy knocks over a bunch of plates, sending them crashing to the floor. The Potter leads Daisy through a lesson on forgiveness and repair as he puts the plates back together using the Japanese art of kintsugi.
Assessment
Breakable Crackables is well-written children’s story with a core message of forgiveness and picking up broken pieces. The story follows the same potter and pottery studio of the first book — Potter Knows Best — and picks up after its events. The story’s overarching theology and message focuses on the forgiveness that God offers when we mess up as well as the fact that He can put our mistakes back together into something new, different, and valuable.
The audiobook version is expertly read by Katherine Shepler, who brings a warm, friendly, and energetic voice to the story. The book does not translate quite as well from visual to audio media as others due to POV switching, but it still presents a good story and story message. In addition, the audiobook version may help children learning to read understand the ebook or book versions.
Light-o-Meter
Writing: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Acting: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Age Appropriateness: Appropriate for intended audiences.
Theological Message: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Overall: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
My first thought about Breakable Crackables is that it continues to carry the wonderful and fantastically rich theology of the first Potter Knows Best book! So often Christian media for little kids provides a watered down version of the Gospel, which makes sense, but sometimes it’s a good idea to help them stretch a little theologically. Breakable Crackables does just that with its message of forgiveness without condemnation.
I think the one issue I have is that the story utilizes dual POVs, switching between the Potter and his family and the sentient pottery he has made. While this works well in the illustrated print or ebook formats, the audiobook struggles slightly as a standalone, since there are no illustrations or scene change indicators (such as chapter headings). That being said, I think the audio version would be an excellent accompaniment to the visual versions of the book.
P.S. I was also able to listen to the audiobook version of the first book, Potter Knows Best, also read by Katherine Shepler and it was excellent!
Where to Enjoy
Amazon: Amazon.com: POTTER KNOWS BEST: "The Breakable Crackables": 9781946344076: McKay, Cheryl: Books
Audible: "The Breakable Crackables" Audiobook by Cheryl McKay
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