Kicks in the Sky

K-Gr 2–In this latest picture book by Esperanza, readers are dropped into colorful and dreamlike city scenery, this time to examine a rainbow’s array of sneakers dangling by their shoelaces above a lively street. The book explores what happens when those shoes fall to the ground, only to be collected by the local children, who can suddenly dance, skate, and play basketball like seasoned professionals. While neighborhood onlookers take turns guessing as to where the shoes came from, the children play into the night, exploring the streets as much as their own limitless potential. Esperanza’s dynamic pastel illustrations are the biggest draw, imbuing the story with mind-bending joy. This title will make for an engaging story time, although not the smoothest read, as the rhymes can be inconsistent and the meter tends to shift from verse to verse.