SHOES GOT SOLES

This appealing small-scale introduction to inventor Jan Earnst Matzeliger offers pleasant illustrations but too little nitty-gritty detail.

Born in Surinam in 1852, Matzeliger came to the United States and worked in Lynn, Mass., as a cobbler. While most shoe-making tasks were handled by machine, "lasting"–fastening the top of the shoe to the sole–was done by hand. This process slowed shoe production and severely limited the number of shoes available to the public. After years of development, Matzeliger invented a machine that lasted shoe uppers to soles, forever improving the shoe-making industry. The change affected both workers and consumers. Santiago’s illustrations, in line and water-based paint, feature too-similar faces, but are pleasantly engaging and creatively varied in design. The process of hand-lasting is explained visually as well as textually. However, the machine that Matzeliger finally invents–which should be the pinnacle of the story–is less clearly depicted. The illustrations fail to show how it works, and the text doesn’t offer an explanation. The author’s language–sometimes awkward, sometimes simple and direct–honors the perseverance of the inventor; however, readers old enough to appreciate inventor/invention stories will be frustrated by the dearth of mechanical details or technical explanation, as well as the lack of a bibliography or suggestions for further reading.

Visually pleasing, but thin.