The Shoe Tree of Chagrin

The barn-tall old plainswoman Susannah DeClare braves deep snow and icy weather to fulfill her promise to deliver a load of handmade shoes to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, by Christmas.

Grades 1-4--In robust storyteller's prose, Lewis tells a tall tale of a mighty backwoods Ohio woman who cobbled shoes. As tall as her legends and just as faithful, Susannah DeClare travels from town to town taking orders for footwear, returning six months later with the finished products. This is her yearly ritual-until severe weather and age prevent her from meeting her usual schedule. But Susannah knows how important the orders are to the town of Chagrin Falls, and that it is necessary to show the doubting Reggie Kingsbury that hard work and integrity are more important than vanity and money. Although Susannah doesn't return, the promised footwear does. A child receives a mysterious note directing him to a certain road at the edge of town where he discovers the shoes hanging on a tree. An afterword claims that there really is a tree like that in Bainbridge, OH, decorated with old shoes, paying tribute to the spirit of Susannah DeClare. Lewis's language gives this story a strength and mystical quality that begs to be shared. The luminous illustrations, done in a fine line and misty palette, allow tans and browns to dominate each landscape. In spite of the subtitle, this tale has a universal message that can be read, told, and shared any time of the year.

Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Susannah DeClare travels the Ohio Valley taking orders for all types of shoes. Tall enough to repair a bell clapper in a church steeple on her tiptoes, the elderly cobbler makes shoes that last a lifetime. In Chagrin Falls, newcomer Reggie Kinsgsbury is skeptical that the townspeople will ever see the cobbler or their money again. When DeClare fails to appear at the expected time, the worries increase until people discover a tree, hung with dozens of shoes. Despite an afterward giving the location of the existing "Shoe Tree," this appears to be an original tall tale. Lewis embroiders the slender thread of a story with rich, lively language. In a palette dominated by greens and browns, the gauzy art creates a foglike atmosphere. The illustrations convey DeClare's stature and dignity but fail to express her vitality and spirit. Best suited for libraries in the Ohio Valley, this is also an interesting sample of locally inspired folklore. Linda Perkins
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