My Kicks: A Sneaker Story!

by Susan Verde, Katie Kath (Illustrator)

Overview

My Kicks is a picture book from Susan Verde, the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Yoga, that explores the love and pride that kids have for their sneakers and the joy that can be found in growing up, growing out, and moving on—illustrated by Katie Kath.

Kids love sneakers. But when a child finds that his toes have outgrown his favorite shoes, and they’ve gotten too dirty and smelly, his mom says it’s time for a new pair. Resistant to let go, the boy reminisces about all the good times he’s had with his favorite kicks on the city streets.

There’s the paint splatter from his masterpiece and the drip from a Popsicle. There’s the scuff from when he fell off his skateboard. And there are those frayed laces that he learned to tie in bows and doubles. A new pair just won’t be the same. But, with bigger shoes to fill, the boy realizes new adventures await him. Maybe he could paint a little better? Or skate a little faster? The possibilities just may be endless . . .

“The text is lively—in prose form, but with a bouncy hip-hop beat that reflects the boy’s attitude about his active life in his beloved shoes. Energetic ink-and-watercolor illustrations place the boy in a pleasant urban setting and are well matched to the text. A wonderful ode to shoes, old and new.” —Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419723094
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/11/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,006,836
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Susan Verde is the bestselling author of I Am Yoga, I Am Peace, I Am Human, I Am Love, I Am One, I Am Courage, I Am Me, The Museum, and You and Me, all illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, as well as the Feel-Good Fairy Tales books, illustrated by Jay Fleck, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Soul, illustrated by Matthew Cordell. In addition to writing, she teaches kids yoga and mindfulness. Susan lives with her three children and their menagerie of pets in East Hampton, New York.


Katie Kath has a master’s degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. She is the illustrator of What a Beautiful Morning.

Editorial Reviews

"The text is lively—in prose form, but with a bouncy hip-hop beat that reflects the boy’s attitude about his active life in his beloved shoes. Energetic
ink-and-watercolor illustrations place the boy in a pleasant urban setting and are well matched to the text. A wonderful ode to shoes, old and new."

Booklist

" Delightful illustrations...this cool kid’s adventures offer general appeal, especially to parents of children who are attached to worn-out shoes."—School Library Journal

"The text is lively—in prose form, but with a bouncy hip-hop beat that reflects the boy’s attitude about his active life in his beloved shoes. Energetic
ink-and-watercolor illustrations place the boy in a pleasant urban setting and are well matched to the text. A wonderful ode to shoes, old and new."—Booklist

From the Publisher

"The text is lively—in prose form, but with a bouncy hip-hop beat that reflects the boy’s attitude about his active life in his beloved shoes. Energetic
ink-and-watercolor illustrations place the boy in a pleasant urban setting and are well matched to the text. A wonderful ode to shoes, old and new."

Booklist

03/01/2017
K-Gr 2—Trying to convince his mom that his worn-out sneakers are irreplaceable, a young boy recalls past adventures in his "old pair of kicks." At the shoe store, his mom says, "We aren't leaving without a new pair," so the boy tries on a virgin set and imagines future successes he might enjoy while wearing shiny new shoes. The ink and watercolor images, which depict an energetic young boy conjuring up past experiences and future exploits within an urban setting, are stronger than the text. Scenes portray the boy playing in the park, walking along city sidewalks, and skateboarding on the steps of the New York Public Library. The voice is sometimes lofty rather than childlike, implying that good times are to be remembered—"These sneakers have soul in their soles. Joy in each hole. A certain stick-to-the-sidewalk from gooey gum." Yet this cool kid's adventures offer general appeal, especially to parents of children who are attached to worn-out shoes. A shoe-tying guide on the book's cover is unfortunately underneath the jacket, making it inaccessible to most library audiences. VERDICT Delightful illustrations help balance an uneven text. A versatile addition for storytimes.—Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA

School Library Journal

2017-02-01
They're shredded, stained, and stinky. A New York City kid's favorite sneakers, or "kicks," have lived an action-packed life. Skateboarding, tree-climbing, and puddle-splashing have taken their toll. The young black boy is devastated when Mom declares the need for new shoes. He regales his mother with stories about each and every scuff, tear, and splatter as she drags him downtown. In the store the boy rejects all choices, but Mom is adamant. Disgruntled, the child points at random and is pleasantly surprised with the results. The shiny yellow kicks make him jump higher, run faster, and feel just right. The old red canvas shoes are finally retired to a place of honor. Verde's overlong story stretches credulity in asking readers to believe that a young boy's shoes will last from summer to summer without getting outgrown. It's difficult to engage with the nameless boy, whose uneven first-person narration ranges from childlike exclamations ("It was awesome! I RULED that day!") to adult nostalgia ("These sneakers have soul in their soles. Joy in each hole"). Kath's ink-and-watercolor illustrations are dynamic, but the facial features are fairly generic. The "Shoe-Tying Guide" touted on the dust jacket is printed on the cover instead of on the endpapers, a design flaw that renders the guide virtually inaccessible to library users because most institutions affix the jacket to the book. Well-intentioned but ultimately lacking in kid appeal. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews