SHOE BOP!
by Marilyn Singer & illustrated by Hiroe Nakata
Singer weaves a collection of fanciful poems into a clever salute to shoes. When her adored sneakers deteriorate, a young girl must go shopping for new footwear. However, the sheer abundance of options at the store spurs an effervescent outpouring detailing the delights of shoes. The format of the tale strings together a chain of poems to create a cohesive narrative, neatly using bridging phrases in a larger display type to move the story along. Her sassy poems offer readers a sprightly sampling of forms, as the gloriousness of shoes is explored through limericks, jaunty rhymes and a splendidly keen haiku about “Moccasins.” Nakata’s watercolor illustrations are imbued with a suitable joie de vivre, which is complemented by her palette of fresh colors. This sparkling tale serves as a fun introduction to poetry as well as a paean to the undeniable appeal of new shoes. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)