(2) 4-6 Ebony (Eb) and De'Kari (Flow), both seventh graders, are suspended from school after a fight in the cafeteria that neither thinks is their fault. On the surface, this looks like a case of two unruly adolescents acting out. Flow is hurt and angry that Eb ruined the shoes his deployed father gave him; Eb says, "It was all just an accident! / Nobody was trying to mess up / his Stupid Ugly Shoes." Over the course of their two-week suspensions, both narrators have the opportunity to reflect and to rethink their actions. Are they really "bad kids," or are they just kids dealing with bad situations? This engaging verse novel reveals the complexities of their home lives, which, despite the kids' enmity, have similarities and are intertwined in surprising ways. Their alternating narratives employ authentic language and tone that give readers the opportunity to empathize with them as their stories unfold. Baptist (The Swag Is in the Socks, rev. 11/21) explores the effects of parental absence, inequitable school discipline, and social issues such as gang violence. This story will resonate with readers struggling to express their emotional lives in ways that society deems appropriate.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Walker. Sadie loves her sparkly silver shoes so much that she keeps wearing one after losing its mate. Then Sadie meets Ellie, who has a silver shoe just like Sadie's--the very one, in fact, that Sadie lost--so Sadie decides they'll share the shoes. Colorful watercolor and collage art alternates vignettes of home and school life with the lost shoe's journey. A satisfying celebration of individuality, friendship, and footwear fidelity.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) K-3 Young dancer Lena is worried about whether she'll be able to meet her recital's requirement of white ballet slippers: "At home, money was tight..." Happily, the night before the recital, Lena finds an ingenious solution. An understated text focuses on Lena's joy in dance and the anxiety of her predicament. Unfussy ink, watercolor, and acrylic illustrations use a variety of perspectives to further communicate Lena's emotions.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) PS Illustrated by Juana Medina. Lena isn't nervous to start kindergarten...but her shoes are. Lena enlists her headband (who is "a good listener") to talk to them, and, with fears assuaged and a bit of reverse psychology, Lena and her outfit make it to the first day. Child-friendly digital illustrations depict the shaking shoes; the happy results of previous times Lena was brave; and, finally, everyone's shoes mingling happily on the playground.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Desierto. When Juno looks for her own missing shoes, she finds a magical realm where she can wear the shoes of influential women such as Serena Williams, Jane Goodall, Lady Gaga, and Misty Copeland. This lighthearted story provides exuberant glimpses into the style and accomplishments of some famous women. Desierto's bold mixed-media illustrations offer fun and fashion in equal measure. Includes a guide to the women (and their shoes).

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(2) PS In this picture book that celebrates preschoolers' close connection to the ground, a child narrator walks with Mommy to the shoe store to replace worn-out sneakers. After trying a yellow pair ("a little pinchy"), the child chooses red ones ("Comfy! I like them!") and eagerly shows them to a friend. The loose watercolor and gouache illustrations give a downward-facing child's-eye view of each moment.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(1) K-3 Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series. Witty wordplay, snappy dialogue, and rich watercolor and collage illustrations combine in Collier's first early reader. A young African American girl chooses which shoes to wear for a day out with her father. A varied cast of googly-eyed footwear vie for her attention: "PICK US!" The series' hallmarks--a limited, repetitive word bank; color-coded speech bubbles; appearances by Gerald and Piggie; and an inherent page-turning quality--are all present and well executed.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(4) YA This coffee-table theme book covers the fashion, art, and culture of sneakers through the eyes of dozens of fashion professionals, athletes, and more, many of whom are not widely known to the general public. Abundant color photos and graphics accompany the narratives in a chaotic but stylish scrapbook-like design. For a niche group of teen readers, here's everything one would want to know about sneaks.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: 1st in Fashion series. Using a conversational tone, this engaging biography series discusses the life of each designer, his or her creative contribution within social history, and the evolution of the style to modern day. Additional facts appear at the bottom of pages as well as in "Fashion Factoid" sidebars throughout. Captioned photographs, a large font, and bright colors add appeal to the layouts. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: 1st in Fashion titles: Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation, Eddie Bauer: Down Jacket Developer, Louis Réard: Bikini Designer, Mary Quant: Miniskirt Maker, Sam Foster: Sunglasses Success, and Levi Strauss: Blue Jean Genius.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Milan Pavlović. To reach up-high things, short kid Seamus wears his mother's high-heeled shoes, although now he can't reach down-low things. The notion that Seamus would believe that his problem requires an either/or solution--"Now he must decide. Up or down? High or low?"--is improbable. Still, Hartt-Sussman offers a fresh approach to size insecurity, while Pavlović's idiosyncratic illustrations feature lively color combinations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 On a run in 1962, twenty-four-year-old Knight revisited a "Crazy Idea" he had in business school: import and sell Japanese running shoes in America. Knight recounts the formation of Blue Ribbon Sports, later the wildly successful company Nike. Budding entrepreneurs may find Knight's story and his "Don't stop" mantra inspirational, but many young readers will be disappointed--and bored--by the memoir's business focus.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ward Jenkins. José earns money to buy himself a pair of rocket shoes. High-spirited rhymes describe him and other children "zooming, zipping, hopping, soaring. / Sky-high flying, world-exploring." After some rooftop high jinks, the mayor bans the shoes until José uses the forbidden footwear to rescue a neighbor and her cat from a snowstorm. Colorful digital illustrations depict a diverse cast of characters and plenty of action.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. Humorously illustrated in bright colors and with Baroque patterns and unique perspectives, this historical-fiction story about King Louis XIV's "shrimp" stature--and how he compensated for it--will engage any child. By story's end, the witty text (printed in a font of varying sizes and colors) leaves no doubt that it's always best to be yourself. The book concludes with fourteen facts about the king.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katie Kath. Replacing worn-out shoes can be hard when every tear, stain, and scratch brings up a cherished memory. This story about a shopping trip for new sneakers is full of bouncy rhythms, dance moves, and--eventually--fantasies about the possible adventures to be had in a new pair of yellow kicks. Ink and watercolor art captures an energetic African American boy bouncing around vibrantly rendered cityscapes.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. This engaging close retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm tale features the twelve princesses whose shoes are found every morning "worn with holes, as though they had been danced in all night." It takes a clever soldier with a magic cloak to discover the princesses' secret. Jay's colorful, crackle-glazed illustrations give the detailed spreads a folklike, antique feel, which enhances the fairy-tale elements.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 StoryPlay Book series. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Four girls head to the store for the perfect party shoes (Shoe-la-la); amiable dinosaurs dance and stomp in a "dinosaur romp" while two worried-looking rodents watch (Dinosaurumpus!); two pigs squander their money on chips and "sody-pop" instead of solid building materials (Pigs). New to these editions are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one." Review covers these StoryPlay Book titles: Shoe-la-la!, Dinosaurumpus, and The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS This upbeat, feel-good rhyming riff on an iconic nursery rhyme debuts a kinder, gentler old woman. Ten diversely cast children and five pets make for a chaotic household, but this gray-haired granny handles every crisis with resourcefulness--all the while meting out kisses and cuddles. The colorful palette of the acrylic and collage art adds energy and appeal.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dave Mottram. Grubman riffs on the Jewish folktale about the overcrowded house (à la Zemach's It Could Always Be Worse) and "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." The clever retelling mostly works, but some of the rhymes are a stretch. Energetic cartoon illustrations show thirteen children, two parents, and farm animals bouncing off the walls--of the shoe.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Fairy Tale Mix-Ups series. Illustrated by Tim Sutcliffe. Little Red Riding Hood goes to the wrong cottage and finds the three bears, while Goldilocks wanders into Grandmother's house. Puss in Boots needs a shoemaker to fix up his old boots. Neither folktale "mix-up" is very clever, though both illustrators introduce diversity in the cartoonish portrayals. Background information on each book's two source tales and writing prompts are appended. Reading list. Glos. Review covers the following Fairy Tale Mix-Ups titles: Red Riding Hood Meets the Three Bears and The Elves Help Puss in Boots.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Miguel Benítez. Freddie outgrows his original super-powered sneakers, and he has to leave for New York before he can test out his new pair (and his new powers). In NYC, the big surprise Uncle Jorge is planning goes awry; can Freddie's zapato powers help? The introduction of new powers and new characters helps freshen up this sixth chapter book in the Zapato Power series.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie