I love Shoe Baby, we’ve read this to Bryn since he was a baby & at 3.5 continues to enjoy it as I hope Freya will. Her initial reaction has been plenty of smiles (something she excels at) Personally I think some of the enjoyment is from the lyrical text & the mouth shape as you read the repeated line ‘How do you do’. The illustration of the baby is also a delight to look at with his rosy red cheeks, big smile & big head.

The story is of a baby’s adventure flying in a shoe meeting birds, animals from the zoo and even a king & queen. The baby & the shoe are eventually found by the parents, I love the last page of the family of three beaming surrounded by the toys the baby met on his adventures (I am also taken with the mother’s skirt)

I adore the illustrations in the book with contrasting patterns & textures, mix of styles, beautiful colour palette & humour, it’s a real visual delight. The theme of shoes runs throughout the pictures as you can spot some the characters wearing very stylish boots, including a pink cockatoo.

It’s a great read aloud story with sing song text, the opportunity to do some dramatic sobbing as well as beautiful illustrations to look at.

How do you do?

All illustrations © Polly Dunbar