Whose Shoes?: A Shoe for Every Job Book

Writer/photographer Swinburne turns to a topic close to young children’s hearts in this nonfiction picture book. After a few pages depicting children with and without footgear, he offers a guessing game in which a photo on the right-hand page shows a person below the knees and asks, Whose shoes? A turn of the page gives the answer and a full-length photo of a ballerina (or farmer, Army National Guard soldier, post office worker, clown . . .) on the left. The facing page repeats the question Whose Shoes? with a new photo. A few of the pictures may stump preschoolers and the chef’s shoes will baffle adults as well, but often clues in the pictures will help lead kids to the answers. The clear, colorful photos provide plenty of talking points, while the short text flows in a conversational way. This attractive picture book is reminiscent of Margaret Miller’s Whose Shoe? (1991), a staple of story programs for many years. Preschool-Grade 2. --Carolyn Phelan