New Shoes

With deep, intuitive understanding of a child’s perceptions, Caldecott Medalist Raschka explores the experience of buying new shoes. Readers see the child’s legs and feet from above as the story is told in real time. Big, bold colors and free, rounded forms give the spreads inviting warmth. The child’s old shoes have worn out (“Dirt could get in. Or water”), and they set off for the store, where feet get measured on a size chart. “My feet are bigger than before!” After trying on a yellow pair that’s “a little pinchy,” the child finds a red pair that is “comfy. I like them!” Raschka celebrates fully this small but important moment of getting the chance to choose something for oneself. It’s the kind of book that might become a battered, dog-eared favorite—like a well-worn pair of shoes. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (May) [/em]