Shoes for Me!

PreS-K—Youngsters can easily relate to the difficulty of selecting a new pair of shoes at the store when there are so many from which to choose. Using rhyming verses, Fliess sets up this common dilemma: "Shoes that zip up,/shoes that tie./Shoes to tiptoe to the sky." The author adds a touch of humor when Mother has to put her foot down: "Shiny zigzags—/these are nice. Mom says, No,/not at that price!'" Despite the plethora of tantalizing footwear on the pages, readers will feel a bit of a distance from the main character, a nameless hippo. While attractive shoes fill the spreads and further elucidate the text, the artwork in graphite, ink, and digital media delivers a joyful, albeit flat, feeling as well. Betsy R. Rosenthal's Which Shoes Would You Choose? (Putnam, 2010) also uses a rhymed text with riddles and it actively involves children and teaches the names of footgear to expand their vocabulary. Supplemental at best.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA