The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Soto, Gary

If the Shoe Fits

32 pp. | Putnam | February, 2002 | Trade ISBN 0-399-23420-9 $$15.99

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Terry Widener. Tired of hand-me-downs, Mexican-American Rigo receives a pair of "fancy" loafers for his ninth birthday. After a bully ridicules them, Rigo banishes them to his closet. He tries to wear them months later, but they no longer fit; then Rigo notices that his uncle is smaller than he is and that his clothes are shabby. This subtle story is infused with an upbeat mood and nimble humor. The artwork is as inviting and unpretentious as Soto's prose. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002