A Pair of Shoes

In this unforgettable, deeply moving story from two best-selling, award-winning creators, a grandmother and grandchild use kindness and ingenuity to help a neighborhood homeless man.

On regular walks with Grandma, a young girl sees the same man on the sidewalk with nothing but a sleeping bag, a book, an apple, and sandals. The girl has questions. Why won’t the man say hi back? And, as winter comes, are his toes cold in those sandals? The child figures out small ways to help: First, she offers the man hot chocolate from her stand. Soon after, she devises a plan to buy the man a pair of shoes, and they make a warm, if fleeting, connection. With stunning art from Caldecott Honor artist R. Gregory Christie, acclaimed author Robie H. Harris shines light on the importance of empathy and the power of small acts of kindness toward someone living on the margins. This timely, heartwarming story will empower parents and children to have invaluable conversations about homelessness, dignity, and how they can—and can’t—help.

Robie H. Harris is the award-winning author of over 30 children’s books and known for writing about serious issues with honesty and humor and for her respect and affection for young readers. Her picture books center on the emotional life of young children and her nonfiction books, such as It’s Perfectly Normal and It’s So Amazing!, focus on giving children honest and accurate information they need to stay healthy and safe. Harris’s books have sold millions of copies and won multiple starred reviews and awards, including the Reach Out and Read’s Mills Tannenbaum Award for Children’s Literacy and Bank Street College of Education’s Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature. And she’s the recipient of the ALA’S 2021 Freedom to Read Roll of Honor and an honorary PhD from Lesley University.

Caldecott Honor winner and 6-time Coretta Scott King Honor recipient R.Gregory Christie is a beloved children’s book illustrator and lecturer with a long track record of creating inspiring art. An NAACP Image award winner and the artist for the United States Postal Service's Kwanzaa stamp, Christie has done everything from designing John Coltrane album covers to animating films on Netflix.