Kindergarten-Grade 2—A little girl mourns the "death" of her favorite purple sneakers, but then it's off to the store for some new ones. She explores the merits of different kinds of shoes, from Mary Janes ("Why not Saras? Amys? Sues?") to moccasins ("Walk like a deer, these moccasins say./You can clomp like a cow any old day") to waders ("Does anyone make rubber waders/the size for almost second-graders?") to T-straps ("They taught me my first letter of the alphabet"), with many in between, until she finally settles on chartreuse high-tops. The shopping expedition is related through a series of 29 linked poems, and the rhythms are witty and always boppy. Nakata's vibrant, stylized watercolors are a perfect match for the bouncy text. With curricular connections to shoes and poetry, this book is a natural fit for classrooms.
