WHAT CAN I DO WITHOUT ANY SHOES?
by Angie Spears
Spears’ debut picture book uses the world of children’s literature as an avenue for inspiration and rediscovery.
A young Black girl who, for unspecified reasons, is unable to go outside decides to peruse her home’s bookshelves, stumbling upon some of her mother’s old books. She hopes to meet new friends and explore new lands in their pages, and she’s quickly pulled into the world of beloved children’s classics. The young girl goes on a literary journey that alludes to several well-known picture books, such as Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, and novels, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit; on each page, she walks through familiar scenes and interacts with beloved (if unnamed) characters. Spears’ quiet ode to children’s literature offers full-color images that will particularly evoke nostalgia in adults. The light, rhyming text provides a whisper of each book’s content, sparking memories for those familiar with them; the whimsical, full-color pastel illustrations present real and mythical animals, items, and happenings from the various tales. However, without a solid, overriding plot that links the unrelated books together, this light family read lacks a clear hook that might have made it resonate more strongly with kids.
A fantasy that offers nods to the escapism of literature yet lacks fresh insight for younger readers.