This delightful 32 page picture book links two girls, two ends of the world, two cultures and two stories together with a pair of red shoes. The short sentences pop with action and the perfectly illustrated two-page spreads convey relatable emotion and joy. The beloved shoes travel on the feet of one character to a wedding, Christmas dinner, and birthdays, they are then are donated and journey to West Africa to be given as a gift for a little girl who fasted half of Ramadan. The message I hope children ages three and up will get from the story, is that we are more alike than different, that we should take care of our things (amazingly the shoes weren’t worn out), and that we should donate things of good quality that we ourselves value. I hope it doesn’t lend itself to perpetuate the stereotype that we can send our castaway items to Africa, being the author comments in her bio on the back flap that her husband is from West Africa and that she frequently visits there, I’m hoping that this is just me being overly cautious in the messaging, and nothing is being implied or negatively taken from a casual reader.
Malika and her Nana see a pair of dazzling shoes perched in the window, and Malika is enamored. Her grandma later surprises Malika with the shoes. She quickly tries them on and tests them out. She keeps them safe from the rain and dances with them on at her Auntie’s wedding. She kicks her cousin Jamal with them on, under the table at Christmas when he tries to steal her biscuit.
She stomps away from her best friend in her red shoes, and jumps double Dutch with them on when she makes up with her friend at her birthday party. But at Nana’s birthday, “the shoes don’t let her forget that her feet have grown.” Nana and Malika take the shoes to the thrift store to be resold. A sad Malika says goodbye to them, they were her favorite shoes ever.
Inna Ziya sees the shoes in the window and knows just the little girl who will love them. She squeezes them in to her suitcase and they are off to Africa. They wait under a table selling claypots in a market waiting for the girl who fasted half the month of Ramadan.
When Amina comes holding her mother’s hand, Auntie Inna Ziya delivers the promised gift. Amina thinks they are beautiful and lovingly carries them in the box on her lap as they fide the tro-tro home. Amina’s little sister Halima, can’t wait to see the gift as she too hopes to one day fast in Ramadan.
Amina lets her try them on and when she outgrows them she plans to pass them on to her. Meanwhile, Malika is wondering whatever happened to her beautiful red shoes, and if someone else is wearing them.
There is no mention of Islam nor is Ramadan explained. There are women in hijab in America and in Africa, even in the books in a shop window there is representation. I particularly love the shout-out in the illustrations to “Mommy’s Khimar.”
The front of the book has Malika, and the back, Amira.
This graphic novel swept me off my feet and left me in tears, not because of the hard life and sadness that life in a refugee camp entails, I had braced myself for that, but because of the hope and humanity and beauty that is so powerfully expressed and conveyed in this 264 page book. Meant for 3rd graders and up, I think kids through middle school should be encouraged to read it. The illustrations and colors are incredibly well done and the story is based on a true story that needs to be told and shared. It is definitely in the top 10 books I’ve read this year and I keep catching my 11 year old re-reading this book repeatedly (like 5 or 6 times).
This book is the first in a series (hopefully) called Trilingual Sofia, where English is the predominant language, and Spanish and Arabic are interwoven to tell the story. Focusing on Eid and spending the holiday in Mexico with her non Muslim grandmother, the story with bright illustrations is a celebration of diversity, acceptance, family, and Eid.
Islamic School Librarian 