THE ORANGE SHOES

A country girl heads to her one-room schoolhouse barefoot and happy, but is mocked by her classmate for being poor and dumb. The school is working on a Festival/Shoebox Social to raise money for art supplies. There, each student will decorate a box to be auctioned off, standing behind a curtain and putting out one shoe to give a hint as to who owns the box. Of course, Adella needs shoes for this activity, but Daddy needs tires, too. So it is much to Adella’s surprise when beautiful orange shoes appear beside her bed. Next day, she can’t resist showing them at recess, but the cruel girls stomp all over them. Full of hurt, Adella tries to hide the damage with paints that Momma had gathered from nature knowing that Adella would need supplies. (She is already drawing with a worn pencil on used envelopes.) Now her shoes match her beautiful box, and her Daddy makes the highest bid. Her teacher declares Adella a young artist and Daddy’s high bid will provide a print set for each student. As a coda, the family takes off their shoes to walk home barefoot one more time before winter. Ettlinger’s colored-pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are warm, lush and full of detail, evoking the period and simplicity of a small country community. (Picture book. 5-7)