  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/01/2018 It’s always fun to look for new shoes! Raschka takes a common experience and personalizes it by employing the visual perspective of a young child. The front matter shows bare feet, as if a child is looking down on them. A mother puts on socks, then some old shoes. The child points out the holes in the shoes, necessitating a trip to the shoe store. Measuring shows another reason to get new shoes—the child’s feet have grown. The book maintains the child’s view throughout, so only the lower part of the store window is visible. Hands reach up to choose footwear to try on. The fair-skinned child is not identified as male or female, and the shoes are not gender-specific. Shoes belonging to a friend, Emma, are pictured as well as her brown-skinned hands and legs. The text is simplistic, but the page design, along with the loose, amiable watercolor-and-gouache illustrations, elevates the book. Vibrant and full of energy, the pictures fully engage the reader as a participant in the story. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 06/01/2018 PreS-Gr 1—Who doesn't love getting new shoes? This simple joyous celebration of a trip to the shoe store is narrated by an anonymous young child. Raschka's signature watercolor-and-gouache illustrations depict only legs, feet, and hands to move the story along. "Mommy is going to put my shoes on me. Hee-hee." Not only do the shoes in question have holes in two places, but a quick measure at the store reveals that "My feet are bigger than before!" The narrator chooses two pairs to try: the first pair "are a little pinchy right there" but the red sneakers are comfy and perfect for running. The child can't wait to show the cherished new shoes to a friend. Short sentences, controlled vocabulary, and bold white print against a color-saturated background make this a perfect choice for preschoolers as well as new readers. This is also a great choice for kindergarten units on personal narrative. VERDICT A lovely, original book about a familiar rite of growing up, perfect for one-on-one and small group sharing.—Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |