Those Shoes tells the story of a little boy named Jeremy who really wants a pair of black shoes but is unable to afford them. It further explores concepts young kids grapple with such as distinguishing between needs vs wants and normalizes percieved conflicting emoitons such as being both happy and mad/sad. Through Jeremy we realize that a stable caregiver, a good friend, and sturdy boots outlast the desire to have the latest trend.
This book is one to have on a classroom shelf for it's many antibias characteristics such as:
- Incorporating children from various races, social economic statuses, and sizes without it reflecting tokenism
- Normalizes in a destigmatizing light living with a caregiver that is not mom/dad and relying on public transportation
- Breaks down materialism through a developmentally appropriate lens young children can understand
- Promotes social and emotional learning through the incorporation of emotions traditionally looked down upon and reframes it in a positve light
- Easy to understand illustrations that captivates the readers attention and curiosity
As an adult reading this, I found myself reflected in Jeremy coming from a single parent household with very little financial liberty. I was able to relate to Jeremy's emotions and desires to fit in with trending clothes/shoes and the isolation one can experience in the absence of those things. I particularly liked the depiction of feeling both happy and mad about doing the objective right thing giving his shoes away empathetically. I feel like young children should be showed these conflicting emotions to normalize its occurence without judgment. This book was very validating to my younger self.
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