The Red Shoes

Newcomer Fowler recasts this fairy tale as a girl-power story. Karen revels in the red shoes her mother gave her (without the moral judgment of Andersen's version), foils the queen's attempts to take them and goes into business as a shoemaker. Her creations come, Fowler points out, a bit flat-footedly, “from Karen's own imagination, creativity, and hard work.” Debut illustrator Yoo, by contrast, steps lightly. Printed in subdued black on cream-colored stock, her pen-and-ink drawings convey a real sense of movement, with sweeping tresses, draping skirts, swirls of flower petals and menacing vines and branches. Bold angles and graceful use of white space add to the sophisticated air. In Fowler's text, clunky asides and elements from traditional fairy tales (“The queen proclaimed that if in three days Karen did not turn over the red shoes, the executioner would have to cut off her feet to remove them”) detract somewhat, but the message about spirit and initiative comes through clearly. Visually stunning, this will be an excellent fit for readers fascinated by glamour. Ages 4–up. (Feb.)