Two Shoes, Blue Shoes, New Shoes
Every child—and every grownup for that matter—knows the joy of a pristine pair of perfect new shoes. This book celebrates that joy with a rollicking rhyme about a young girl walking to school in her new, blue shoes. Lighthearted and silly, the verse describes the girl’s walk to school and her flights of fancy along the way. She begins in a colorful New York street scene and, as only a child can do, imaginatively transports herself to the zoo, the circus, and even the moon with her magical shoes. Along the way she meets a whale, a blue baboon, a purple frog, and some chimpanzees. Her arrival at school is the culmination of her long adventurous walk on the streets of New York, and her own imagination.
The illustrations, rich in color and detail, will fascinate young readers, as there is much to see and talk about on every page. What may seem like far-fetched images or overly stretched verse to adult readers will delight young listeners from preschool through kindergarten. Moreover, the persistent rhyming of the text, accentuated by the repetitive ending of each line in the word “shoes,” will help young readers to reach a full understanding of how to make a rhyme, which is an important developmental milestone.
The author, who formerly worked as a therapeutic tutor with learning disabled children, demonstrates her understanding of a child’s mind and rich inner life through her lyrical text while the illustrator, who has much experience with children’s literature, causes that inner reality to leap off the page. Two Shoes, Blue Shoes, New Shoes is a lively combination of art and language sure to bring pleasure and understanding to many young readers.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
