The Red Shoes

by Eleri Glass, Ashley Spires

Simply Read Books

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime

36 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2008

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

What a delightful tale that brings red giggles and brightness to an otherwise colorless world. It's "Cherry blossom sweet...".
~Jennifer K.

[John Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Red Shoes offer a chance to go shopping once again, or for the first time, for that special something. Often times, that special something’s value was known only to us. Part of the magic told by Glass and illustrated by Ashley Spires attests to this experience. For younger readers, the story also offers a great experience. The dimensions of the rhyme expand and contract as shoes play a more important role in the quest than the humans that control the circumstances.
Equally impressive are Spires’ style of Seuss meets Van Alsburg illustrations. Not only does the art recall a time that feels like the 1960s, but it is a time when small stores dotted the city-scape and one might even sacrifice a tight fit to secure the shoes they really wanted.
Although the primary audience of the book may well be little girls, it is a book that is also accessible to their fathers and grandfathers. It is a delightful story that continues to make connections and invite conversation about the not so distant past. Include this book in your collection, and maybe even buy a copy to share with that special little child that it brings to mind.

4 out of 5

John Parker
Media Coordinator
Andrews High School
50 HS Drive
Andrews, NC 28901

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl does not want to go shopping for shoes: "My feet huff, puff, like two tired trains." She gets caught up in the excitement of all the shoe choices "squatting" on the shelves. They "whisper to her" and make her "sing a tiny shoe tune." Nice surprise at the end. The author has good verb choices and metaphors that could be used as a mentor text. The story made me think of my husband who tells the story of getting his first baseball mitt and sleeping with it every night. Great addition to your library.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little story, cute illustrations. Valuable lesson on the magical powers of red shoes.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is The Red Shoes, written by Eleri Glass and illustrated by Ashley Spires, a sweet story of a girl and a coveted pair of crimson shoes.

A little girl in a dull, muted world goes to a shoe store with her mother. She’s in need of new shoes, but each pair on the shelf is as plain and boring as the next… that is, until she spies the red shoes. They are bright and colorful, and make her happy. She begs her mother for the shoes, but mom convinces her to try on a few other pairs first. The dour shoe store clerk measures her feet and fits her in a few “blah” pairs, but the girl knows what she wants, and as soon as she tries on her beloved red shoes, she feels as though she can fly. Leaving the store with new shoes in hand, she can’t wait to wear them – even going so far as to put them on before she curls up for a good night’s sleep.

Very cute. Every child (and let’s face it, every adult, too) has that one piece of clothing that makes them feel like a million dollars when they put it on, and this was a really sweet, sincere story about that feeling. The text has the structure and rhythm of free verse, but it is clear and uncomplicated to read, and conveys the emotions of the story well. The illustrations are darling, and make up for the faded color palette the story requires with expressive characters and dramatic visuals; I loved the little girl literally flying as she finally tried on the red shoes. The length is fine, and JJ enjoyed it. A guileless story that celebrates the joy of loving something small, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book had a lot of opportunities for dialogic reading, as in the refrain of "red shoes" I found the text strange & clunky for Story Times. For example, the shoes "giggle" and other verbs that I found odd in association with shoes.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little girl is out shopping with her mother and is tired.
She doesn't want to shop, even for herself.
She doesn't want boring new shoes.
The sight of red shoes perks her up.
In spite of her mother's and the salesperson's choices, she wants the red shoes.
Kudos to mom who gets them for her.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a red pair of maryjane shoes just like these when I was this girls' age, and I also always slept with my new (clean, not work outside yet) shoes on. V relatable :-)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful tale that brings red giggles and brightness to an otherwise colorless world. It's "Cherry blossom sweet...".

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl goes shoe shopping with her mother. The shoes she wants the most are the beautiful red ones on the shelf in the corner. Cute story. Fun illustrations.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my mother while looking at books in a free small library. The book has a sweet aesthetic—I love the choice of coloring in it. 👠

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

A little girl goes shopping for new shoes with her mother. At the store she finds herself surrounded by towering shelves with hundreds of white and brown laceups and boots. She looks disappointed, when suddenly her eyes are drawn to a pair of red shoes. They call out to her in “ruby whispers, shiny silver giggles.” The girl has found what she wanted! Alas, her mother has different plans, and the “shoe lady” gets busy measuring, lacing up and pulling tight to make four pairs in white and brown fit. “Too big, too small, two tired feet, four empty boxes, eight cranky shoes.” In the end, however, the girl gets her wish, and that night she goes to bed wearing her magical red shoes. With a few strokes of author Eleri Glass’s inspired pen, inanimate objects come to life. She has crafted enchanting phrases and similes which will resound with readers. One can imagine how discouraged our protagonist is when she thinks, “My feet huff and puff like two tired trains.” The beckoning red shoes “... are happy apples, waiting to be picked.” Illustrator Ashley Spires’s watercolour and ink artwork complements the text. Into a conformity of greys and browns intrudes a dab of a different colour: a daring spark of beauty and soaring imagination – the red shoes! The Red Shoes is rare gem that will delight young readers as well as older ones who are still young at heart.

Reviewed by Senta Ross in Canadian Children's Book News
Summer 2008 VOL.31 NO.3

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glass, Eleri, and Ashley Spires. The Red Shoes. [Vancouver]: Simply Read, 2008. Print.
Although this book is intended for elementary school children, I can relate to this little girl's problem. So many shoes in the store! So many shoes that she has tried on! Told in rhyming poetry form, this little girl goes into a shoe store with her mother and finally comes out with her very favorite shoes. Great book for lower elementary as a read aloud or for emerging readers to read independently. The Red Shoes can be used to teach rhyme and poetry. Students can be asked to listen carefully for the rhyming words.
CHARACTERS:
Little girl-shopping for shoes
Mother-wants to buy tie shoes for her daughter
Sales lady-keeps bringing our more and more shoes
RSS-Shopping for shoes is so exhausting until you find the perfect pair.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars as a person who LOVES red shoes, I thought this book was fun! I am not sure I would sleep with my red shoes, but to each his own. Also, do sales people actually get shoes for you anymore? I guess I only order online or stores where you pick them try them on and buy them...no need for someone to go in the back to get them!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book really captures something from my youth--i loved it. the girls liked it enough but i traveled back in time through the description of a young girl's trip shoe shopping with her mother. her heart is set on a pair of shoes...but she patiently tries on many pairs. love the ending.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great example of a lyrical picture book. I loved this book. Loved that it was about a topic that is rarely written about, shoe shopping. I too feel like this when I shoe shop, hundreds of shoes to choose from but only one pair catches my attention.

Loved it.

[Kimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids really liked this book, my 4 year old daughter especially. She really related to it. You could feel the excitement the little girl was experiencing when she saw and tried on those red shoes, which stood out from all the other shoes.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a girl wants a pair of red shoes nothing else will do. The challenging part is convincing her mom and the shoe lady at the department store.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing like a new pair of red shoes!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libby would give this a 5... but then she's got a thing for shoes.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read during rec. center class visit on 2/20/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love red shoes!

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happiness is a new pair of shoes!