We are delighted to introduce our readers to a new Children’s graphic novel called New Shoes, written by Sara Varon.
“Francis the donkey is the best shoemaker in the village. He uses only the finest materials: coconut wood for the soles, goat’s wool for the insoles, and wild tiger grass for the uppers.
Francis takes a journey into the jungles of South America where he meets an array of animals and makes new friends along the way. This new journey teaches Francis kindness and to have an open mind to all the different animals outside of his village.
We just loved this book and it is one of the more unique books that we have read on the #MelandNikkiReview. The layout of this child’s graphic novel reminds me of a comic book with the feature of comic strips throughout the book. I haven’t come across many books with this type of format but I loved it! The story flowed nicely in this format too and the pictures were super cute too!
We also loved the message in the book around kindness and respect to all animals no matter how different they are from one another. We can definitely use this lesson around how we treat others as people too! New Shoes also dips into teaching children about the different animals especially from the South America jungles and this piece is very educational. As we went through the story and were introduced to the many animals, I would have to say my favorite was the Giant River Otter – love them!!! *Momma Braga Fact: I have a soft spot for otters!!!
With all this being said, we have to give New Shoes, 5 shoes out of 5 for the great storyline, adorable illustrations and of course for the beautiful message that we should all adopt whether we are children or adults.
To purchase this lovely book for your collection, please click here.