The Repair Shop Stories: The Toy Shop by Amy Sparks
Illustrated by Katie Hickey
Hardback published by Walker Books 2nd March 2023
ISBN 9781529504774
Step inside and discover the magic of The Repair Shop.
Elsie loves her little brother, David, and would do anything to take his first steps. One day , Elsie has a wonderful idea to buy David a shiny toy bus to play with as he learns to walk.
Many years later, when she takes the bus to The Repair Shop, Elise realizes how much this treasured toy means to her family and how it has touched all of their lives.
MY REVIEW
Granny Elsie takes a very special toy bus to be repaired at The Repair Shop.
It once belonged to her brother David. He was born with Cerebral Palsy, and loved buses.
When Elsie was a child she wanted her brother, David to have a toy bus that David see in a shop window.
Kind hearted sister Elsie used all her own money that she had been saving to buy her brother the toy bus.
Then something incredible happened. David managed to walk holding onto his toy bus.
Now Elsie is a granny her grandsons want to play with the bus, but it has gone rusty and the bell don’t work. She is hoping that The Repair Shop can fix the bus for her grandsons, to play with.
What I like about The Repair Shop Stories, is they all have a true story behind the fictional story.
The true story of The Toy Bus
When Barbara’s parents bought her two year old brother, Alastair,a beautiful toy bus, it became a family favourite straight away. Alastair and vehicle with wheels, lorries, cars, buses and trains and his parents bought the bus for him to play with but also for him to use as a gentle but sturdy aid for adapting to life with Cerebral Palsy. The toy bus was a way to encourage Alastair to practice balancing when walking and standing, while having fun along the way.
During term time, when Alastair was away at a special school in Edinburgh, Barbara and her younger brother, Colin, enjoyed playing with the bus. It became an integral part of their early lives and it was always a very popular choice when friends came over to play. The bus remained at the family home even after Barbara, Alastair and Colin had all grown up, and it was still there by the time Barbara had her own son.
Over time, the bus was handed to Barbara to look after and it remains a great testament to the love Barbara’s parents had for her and her siblings. The bus would have cost her parents a small fortune and they had very little money to spare money at a time, but they were determined to do their best for their children and especially for Alistair.
When Barbara’s grandson was the same age as Alastair, she gave him the bus to play with and he loved to ring the bell, just like Barbara and her siblings did when they were children. The bus is a reminder of the family’s closeness and will provide the next generation with many more years of fun.
About Amy Sparkes
Amy Sparkes studied English Literature and Theology at the University of Kent, and began writing after moving to Devon with her husband, six young children and an overactive imagination. Her books have appeared on CBeebies storytime and been shortlisted for several book awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the BookTrust Best Books Awards. She runs author events for children, writing workshops for aspiring children’s writers, produces the Writing for Children pages for bestselling Writing Magazine, and writes short stories for Aquila magazine. She co-founded the Writing Magazine Picture Book Prize for aspiring picture book authors.
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