New Shoes

by Sara Varon

Overview

From Sara Varon (Robot Dreams, Bake Sale) comes New Shoes, a heartwarming graphic novel about a donkey on a quest to make the perfect pair of shoes.

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.

One day he receives a special order from his favorite singer: Miss Manatee, the queen of calypso. But he’s all out of tiger grass! To make the perfect pair of shoes, Francis must journey deep into the jungle . . . and that means leaving his village for the first time.

In New Shoes, Sara Varon takes us on a vivid journey into the jungles of South America. From the capybara to the jaguar to the three-toed sloth, Francis meets a variety of animals outside his neighborhood. They’re not so scary when you get to know them!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596439207
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	03/20/2018
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	800,516
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Sara Varon is a printmaker, graphic novelist, and children’s book author/illustrator living in Brooklyn. Her books include Robot Dreams, Bake Sale, Odd Duck, Chicken & Cat, Chicken & Cat Clean Up, and Sweaterweather. In 2013 Sara Varon was a recipient of the Maurice Sendak Fellowship.

Editorial Reviews

Sara Varon…is a master at creating endearing, uncommon narratives, and her latest, New Shoes is no exception. The story is told simply, with clean lines, a gentle palette and straightforward language. But the reader is also asked to confront surprisingly sophisticated topics, and the result is a book as charming as it is unexpected.

The New York Times Book Review - Victoria Jamieson

★ 01/15/2018
In a South American village, a donkey named Francis makes shoes for discerning clients. Francis is overjoyed to receive a commission from Miss Manatee, his favorite calypso singer, but before he can start work, he discovers that his friend and tiger grass supplier, Nigel, has gone missing. Venturing into the forest to sort out Nigel’s situation (he has been stealing tiger grass from its grower, Harriet the jaguar) is a big test for Francis, who has never been outside his village. His success helps him think outside the box when he discovers that aquatic manatees don’t wear shoes. Instead, he and his friends make Miss Manatee a handsome wheeled cart. With their cheerful expressions and rubbery limbs, Varon’s creatures behave with gentle civility throughout, as when Harriet and her predator friends stand at the very back of Buster’s Calypso Café during Miss Manatee’s performance, so as not to intimidate the other patrons. Varon (Odd Duck) introduces a rain forest setting most likely new to readers (Guyana, an afterword explains) in a story that brims with creativity and affection. Ages 6–10. Agent: Tanya McKinnon, McKinnon McIntyre. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"The reader is asked to confront surprisingly sophisticated topics, and the result is a book as charming as it is unexpected."—New York Times

"Varon (Odd Duck) introduces a rain forest setting most likely new to readers (Guyana, an afterword explains) in a story that brims with creativity and affection."—Publishers Weekly, starred review


"The dialogue effortlessly adds humor to the informational snippets in the text; a moment when a jaguar, wild hog, and howler monkey chuckle over their entries in Francis' guidebook is hilarious. A quick, informative, and overall good-hearted graphic tale that will have readers pausing to take in the colorful artistic details."—Kirkus

"This simple yet fun tale will help newly independent readers make the transition to full-blown graphic novels, stoke curiosity about the jungle ecosystem, and teach about teamwork, respect, and kindness."—School Library Journal

"Readers of Robot Dreams (BCCB 11/07) or Chicken & Cat (BCCB 3/06) will settle right in to the chipper domesticated menagerie that comprises Varon’s graphic novel casts."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This silly and entertaining early-reader graphic novel, in six chapters, is filled with informational matter about the animals of the South American jungles…Expect giggles from the newly independent readers at whom this delightfully odd graphic novel is aimed." —Horn Book

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Gr 1–4—Francis the donkey loves to make shoes for his animal friends and neighbors, but he doesn't do it alone. The goats down the road provide wool, Nigel the squirrel monkey collects the grass that is woven into fabric, and the chickens from downstairs weave it. When Francis is approached to make new shoes for the famous singer Miss Manatee, he is over the moon until he realizes Nigel has yet to return from a supply trip. Francis embarks on his first journey into the formidable jungle to find Nigel and the grass he needs to make an unforgettable pair of shoes for his favorite entertainer. With its seamless intermingling of earth tones and lush tropical colors, and its smooth, heavy linework, this graphic novel strongly evokes picture books owing to its numerous full-page bleeds and frequent use of nonpaneled pages. The text is large and the vocabulary mostly simple. However, some pages become overcrowded as Varon squeezes in related facts. Dialogue contains elevated, undefined vocabulary such as provincial and embellishment. Realistic images of jungle animals are worked into the pages via Francis's guidebook, and the story acts as something of a guidebook itself. Plants and animals are labeled throughout, together with local naming conventions when applicable (e.g., jaguars are called "tigers" in Guyana). The spare back matter includes reference photos that inspired the story's imagery. VERDICT This simple yet fun tale will help newly independent readers make the transition to full-blown graphic novels, stoke curiosity about the jungle ecosystem, and teach about teamwork, respect, and kindness.—Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2018-01-13
Francis the donkey, a shoemaker, learns about life beyond his village when he ventures into the jungle to get wild tiger grass to make the perfect pair of shoes. Francis uses only the finest materials to make his shoes: coconut wood, goat wool, and wild tiger grass. He sources these from other animals in his village. One day Francis gets a special request from a client and personal hero, the calypso musician Miss Manatee. However, Francis realizes he is out of tiger grass and his monkey friend Nigel, who usually provides it, is nowhere to be found. So Francis sets out with parrot friend Rhoda and some animal guidebooks to the jungle from which Nigel usually gets the grass. An educational journey ensues, with Francis meeting all types of animals, from the gregarious capybara to the seemingly terrifying jaguar. Most of the animals are helpful and show him that many animals are not as scary as they seem once you get to know them. Varon complements the friendly cartoon animals with which she populates her graphic adventure with lovely reference photos in the back, which help to connect the drawings with real life. The dialogue effortlessly adds humor to the informational snippets in the text; a moment when a jaguar, wild hog, and howler monkey chuckle over their entries in Francis' guidebook is hilarious. A quick, informative, and overall good-hearted graphic tale that will have readers pausing to take in the colorful artistic details. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews