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The shoemaker and the jungle

Cover of New Shoes
A review of New Shoes by Sara Varon

Francis the donkey is a shoemaker. He does what he loves and makes the other animals very happy with his beautiful shoes. He has great friends and a comfortable routine.

Then something happens to shake up his supply chain. Francis receives a request to make a custom pair of shoes for Miss Manatee, the famous Calypso singer. Francis' special shoes are made of coconut wood for the soles, goat's wool for the insoles, and wild tiger grass for the uppers. Francis purchases the wild tiger grass from his friend Nigel, a squirrel monkey, who travels once a week to the jungle to find the very best tiger grass. Francis has run out of wild tiger grass and when he goes to check on Nigel, he discovers he hasn't returned from his latest trip to the jungle. Francis needs to get started on the shoes for Miss Manatee and is worried about his friend. So he decides to journey into the jungle where he's never been to track down Nigel. What he discovers is that his friend has been up to some serious mischief and Miss Jaguar has been hurt. How will Francis makes things right even though he isn't the one that did anything wrong?

This is a story of taking chances, meeting new creatures, and working together to help solve problems and make life better. It's also about the power of saying, "I'm sorry." Added bonus: this is a colorful, friendly tribute to the beauty and magic of Guyana. And animals that wear shoes!

Dec 11, 2018