My Best Shoes

Celebrates the variety of shoes that can be worn, from sturdy lace up high shoes to naked feet and toe shoes

PreSchool-Grade 1-This book is not just about best shoes, but about all kinds-"...tie shoes/Sturdy lace up high shoes"; "...play shoes/Gray shoes/Run all day shoes"; "...sun shoes/Just for fun shoes." The toe-tapping, rhyming text begs to be read aloud. Ransome's sumptuous paintings capture the sheer delight of wearing new, old-and, best of all-no shoes. Bathed in light and practically jumping off the pages, these multiethnic children parading their footwear brim with life and energy. Sure to become a favorite for story hour sharing.
Anna DeWind, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From barnyard to beach, from city lights to country meadows, this exuberant collaboration features a multicultural cast and a collection of footwear that would put a gleam in Imelda Marcos's eye. Burton's sprightly verses ("On Friday I wore new shoes / Bright and shiny blue shoes / Twinkling in the light shoes / Sparkling in the night shoes / What a pretty sight shoes!") skip nimbly across each page, begging to be read aloud, and giving each day of the week, each new narrator and each pair of shoes its own special flavor. Ransome's ( Red Dancing Shoes ) vibrant oil paintings at times recall Caroline Binch's Amazing Grace ; his medium and style are different, but he has the same knack for catching children joyously being themselves. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

For each day of the week, a different child describes the shoes he or she wears (tie or tap, old or new): ``On Saturday I wore sun shoes/Just for fun shoes/Tiptoe in the sand shoes....'' But Sunday's shoes are the best: ``...no shoes/Naked feet and toe shoes/Barefoot all day long shoes/Sing a summer song shoes....'' Ransome matches the effervescent verse with light, bright paintings of kids cheerfully engaged in imaginative activities. Just the thing to instigate dramatic play. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 4-6. Snappy verse and vibrant oil paintings are a winning combination in this joyful celebration of shoes. From treasure-filled attics and flower-filled meadows to the bright lights of Broadway and an endless stretch of seashore, a diverse group of children--African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian--praise favorite footwear: "On Tuesday I wore tap shoes / Buckle and strap shoes / With one little snap shoes / Learn how to dance shoes / Twirl and prance shoes." Although a close inspection reveals that some of the young faces are awkwardly rendered, the overall visual impression--expansive compositions with bright colors and dynamic, shifting poses--is so strong that it really doesn't matter. A delightful choice for lap-time sharing or to use in concert with Hurwitz's New Shoes for Silvia , this aesthetic treat is also an amusing way to learn the days of the week. Julie Corsaro