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Two Pairs of Shoes
Retellings of two middle Eastern folktales reveal how two pairs of shoes unwittingly reflect the true character of the men who own them.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 1980
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79 people want to read
About the author
P.L. Travers
81 books732 followersPamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian novelist, actress and journalist, popularly remembered for her series of children's novels about mystical nanny Mary Poppins.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause was sustained, heavy drinking".
Travers began to publish her poems while still a teenager and wrote for The Bulletin and Triad while also gaining a reputation as an actress. She toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company before leaving for England in 1924. There she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P. L. Travers.
In 1925 while in Ireland, Travers met the poet George William Russell who, as editor of The Irish Statesman, accepted some of her poems for publication. Through Russell, Travers met William Butler Yeats and other Irish poets who fostered her interest in and knowledge of world mythology. Later, the mystic Gurdjieff would have a great effect on her, as would also have on several other literary figures.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success.Five sequels followed, as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction.
The Disney musical adaptation was released in 1964. Primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books, it also lifted elements from the sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. Although Travers was an adviser to the production she disapproved of the dilution of the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character, felt ambivalent about the music and disliked the use of animation to such an extent that she ruled out any further adaptations of the later Mary Poppins novels. At the film's star-studded premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequence had to go. Disney responded by saying "Pamela, the ship has sailed." and walked away. Travers would never again agree to another Poppins/Disney adaptation, though Disney made several attempts to persuade her to change her mind.
So fervent was Travers' dislike of the Walt Disney adaptation and the way she felt she had been treated during the production, that well into her 90s, when she was approached by producer Cameron Mackintosh to do the stage musical, she only acquiesced upon the condition that only English born writers (and specifically no Americans) and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the creative process of the stage musical. This specifically excluded the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for the production even though they were still very prolific. Original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated into the production however. These points were stipulated in her last will and testament.
Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She died in London in 1996.
Although Travers never married, she adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause was sustained, heavy drinking".
Travers began to publish her poems while still a teenager and wrote for The Bulletin and Triad while also gaining a reputation as an actress. She toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company before leaving for England in 1924. There she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P. L. Travers.
In 1925 while in Ireland, Travers met the poet George William Russell who, as editor of The Irish Statesman, accepted some of her poems for publication. Through Russell, Travers met William Butler Yeats and other Irish poets who fostered her interest in and knowledge of world mythology. Later, the mystic Gurdjieff would have a great effect on her, as would also have on several other literary figures.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success.Five sequels followed, as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction.
The Disney musical adaptation was released in 1964. Primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books, it also lifted elements from the sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. Although Travers was an adviser to the production she disapproved of the dilution of the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character, felt ambivalent about the music and disliked the use of animation to such an extent that she ruled out any further adaptations of the later Mary Poppins novels. At the film's star-studded premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequence had to go. Disney responded by saying "Pamela, the ship has sailed." and walked away. Travers would never again agree to another Poppins/Disney adaptation, though Disney made several attempts to persuade her to change her mind.
So fervent was Travers' dislike of the Walt Disney adaptation and the way she felt she had been treated during the production, that well into her 90s, when she was approached by producer Cameron Mackintosh to do the stage musical, she only acquiesced upon the condition that only English born writers (and specifically no Americans) and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the creative process of the stage musical. This specifically excluded the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for the production even though they were still very prolific. Original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated into the production however. These points were stipulated in her last will and testament.
Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She died in London in 1996.
Although Travers never married, she adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 10, 2016
This morning we read Two Pairs of Shoes. This books was written by P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins.. The beautiful illustrations were done by Leo and Diane Dillon.
This book contains two stories, but about the fate of shoes in two separate men's lives. These stories are retold from Baghdad tales. The writing is higher level so my kids ages 9-12 seemed to enjoy it and understand it the best, and even then there were big words for them. They caught the morals of the stories and we're excited to tell me what they were.
This book contains two stories, but about the fate of shoes in two separate men's lives. These stories are retold from Baghdad tales. The writing is higher level so my kids ages 9-12 seemed to enjoy it and understand it the best, and even then there were big words for them. They caught the morals of the stories and we're excited to tell me what they were.
July 1, 2013
Why isn't this book more well known? It's a pairing of two Middle Eastern folk tales about a pair of shoes. Illustrations are stunning (as per the usual Dillon result) and look very period and authentic while still offering up the usual humor and subtleties of the Dillons' art. Stories are well done, too, and provide great discussion points as well as a window into Middle Eastern culture.
January 14, 2008
Anything that is illustrated by the Dillons is a must see in my book.
February 27, 2021
Reviewing an older title. I was intrigued when I saw this was by P.L. Travers (of Mary Poppins fame) with artwork by Leo and Diane Dillon.
This work includes two short stories from Sufi literature:
The first, "Abu Kassem's Slippers", is a retelling of Ibn Hijjat Al-Hamawi's story "Thamarat Ul-Awrak" (Fruit of Leaves). A penny-pinching merchant who wore the same worn out slippers on his feet when in the market. Upon buying a bargain, he decided to go to the baths. When he gets out, he mistakenly puts the Cadi of Baghdad's shoes on, which starts Abu Kassem's misfortunes. AK tries to get rid of the old slippers - by throwing them in the river, burying them in the garden, tossing them in the lake, drying them on the roof of his house - and lands in the home of the Cadi who gives him the moral of the story: "Nothing lasts forever and when a thing is no longeruseful that thing should be relinqished."
The second is "The Sandals of Ayaz", a retelling of Rumi's "The Mathnawi of Jalalu". This tale is about loyalty and humbleness in the eyes of King Mahmoud. When testing his court counselors, only Ayaz gives the correct, humble answer. Jealous, the courtiers wonder why Ayaz goes into a locked chamber for hours every day and come to the conclusion he must be hoarding a treasure. With the king's permission, they break into the room to find only a worn pair of sandals and a sheepskin jacket. The king leaves it to Ayaz to punish them. He chooses not to, explaining that these two items are what "teach me how to him myself", that "he who knows himself knows God."
Travers' tellings are solid, however they lack a passion or depth of knowledge about Sufism, so they fail to soar with its spiritualism.
Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon are the real star here. Printed on a creamy paper, each story has a 3/4 page-size illustration on each 2-page spread, with beautiful borders enclosing them - one story with marbled paper borders, the other with hand-drawn textured frame/borders. They are what we have come to expect from the Dillons - illustrations full of rich color, texture, line, pattern, and details. They change continually to show movement, passion, compassion, and humility. They are the true stars of this one.
Recommended for grades 3-5.
This work includes two short stories from Sufi literature:
The first, "Abu Kassem's Slippers", is a retelling of Ibn Hijjat Al-Hamawi's story "Thamarat Ul-Awrak" (Fruit of Leaves). A penny-pinching merchant who wore the same worn out slippers on his feet when in the market. Upon buying a bargain, he decided to go to the baths. When he gets out, he mistakenly puts the Cadi of Baghdad's shoes on, which starts Abu Kassem's misfortunes. AK tries to get rid of the old slippers - by throwing them in the river, burying them in the garden, tossing them in the lake, drying them on the roof of his house - and lands in the home of the Cadi who gives him the moral of the story: "Nothing lasts forever and when a thing is no longeruseful that thing should be relinqished."
The second is "The Sandals of Ayaz", a retelling of Rumi's "The Mathnawi of Jalalu". This tale is about loyalty and humbleness in the eyes of King Mahmoud. When testing his court counselors, only Ayaz gives the correct, humble answer. Jealous, the courtiers wonder why Ayaz goes into a locked chamber for hours every day and come to the conclusion he must be hoarding a treasure. With the king's permission, they break into the room to find only a worn pair of sandals and a sheepskin jacket. The king leaves it to Ayaz to punish them. He chooses not to, explaining that these two items are what "teach me how to him myself", that "he who knows himself knows God."
Travers' tellings are solid, however they lack a passion or depth of knowledge about Sufism, so they fail to soar with its spiritualism.
Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon are the real star here. Printed on a creamy paper, each story has a 3/4 page-size illustration on each 2-page spread, with beautiful borders enclosing them - one story with marbled paper borders, the other with hand-drawn textured frame/borders. They are what we have come to expect from the Dillons - illustrations full of rich color, texture, line, pattern, and details. They change continually to show movement, passion, compassion, and humility. They are the true stars of this one.
Recommended for grades 3-5.
April 4, 2012
I think this book would be better for more advance readers because it is lengthy and comprehensive.
Since this is a Middle East folktale, it has twists and turns that leave the reader engrossed and full of anticipation
to what would happen next or happen at the end. Since these stories reflect the true characters of people, the reader surely could relate with the characters in the stories.
Since this is a Middle East folktale, it has twists and turns that leave the reader engrossed and full of anticipation
to what would happen next or happen at the end. Since these stories reflect the true characters of people, the reader surely could relate with the characters in the stories.
September 29, 2013
A retelling of two Arabic tales concerning shoes. A quick, light read with some nice illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews