A FLOCK OF SHOES

An imaginative look at just what happens to all those outgrown and worn-out but still beloved shoes. For Abby, those adored shoes are her sandals, perfect for everything. Abby wears them all summer long, delighted by the heart-shaped tracks they make in the sand. In the fall, none of her mother’s arguments persuade her to part with them. But then, while she is swinging high, they fly off her feet. Instead of falling, they fly away, joining others in a V formation and heading south. A heartbroken Abby reads the postcards they send from a sunny beach and reluctantly wears the boots her mother buys. It’s February before they are her new favorite shoes. But in the spring, they join a long line of other boots on a northbound train. Forlorn, Abby sits barefoot, until she hears flapping…. Tsiang’s flight of fancy is delightfully captured in Leng’s illustrations. While small, they are rich in detail and movement. Abby’s personality truly shines in her body language. This whimsical tale is sure to beguile anyone who has ever outgrown a much-loved pair of shoes. (Picture book. 4-8)