IF THE SHOE FITS

Soto (Fearless Fernie, p. 52, etc.) offers a complex take on the “giving is better than receiving” sentiment in this gentle lesson on what really matters.  Eight-year-old Rigo’s resentment builds over the preponderance of hand-me-down clothes he inherits from his three older brothers until he can’t take it anymore and he throws the latest worn-out batch into the garbage can and pleads for something brand new.  Sure enough, new loafers are in the works, but even they turn out to be a problem.  Finally he gives them to his Uncle Celso, and this act signals a distinct and empowering shift in Rigo.  For the first time, Rigo sees himself as part of the giving community, an important contributor to the family’s well being.  He also learns about pride, and how having pride in who you are can be a useful tool in confronting fear.  When his Uncle Celso, overjoyed at Rigo’s generosity, gives Rigo a couple of Mexican pennies and notes the coins are even older than he is, Rigo plans to save them for the slots of new loafers if he ever gets any.  But the pennies also provide him a new source of strength and courage when it comes to his dealings with the world outside his family.  Sprinkled throughout the text are italicized words in Spanish, accompanied by a back-page glossary, a subtle reinforcement of the story’s setting.  Widener’s (The Christmas Cobwebs, 2001, etc.) lively illustrations of Rigo and his family establish a warm, inviting tone, exuding friendliness without being cliché-ridden or saccharine-coated.  (Picture book.  5-8)