It’s important to have a shoe that fits right just ask Cinderella! And in this clever, original tale we meet a shoemaker who has the ability to create shoes that make each and every person feel like royalty.
At first glance, Hans Crispin seems like an ordinary, traveling shoemaker. But when he strides into town it soon becomes clear that this cobbler boasts an extraordinary talent. Hans can create shoes like no one else! When he meets a short man, Hans creates special shoes to make him taller. A little girl who is tired of being overlooked gets shoes so ornate and fantastic, she is sure to be the center of attention. And when the fisherman’s boat springs a leak, he turns to Hans for some shoes that help him float on water.
Everyone is happy with Hans Crispin’s fantastic shoes. Everyone, that is, except the grumpy old town cobbler. Jealous, he tries to get rid of Hans by suggesting that the newcomer make a pair of shoes for Barefootus, the giant. Of course, Hans doesn’t realize the cobbler is tricking him: the giant is much more interested in dinner than in a new pair of shoes. Captured by the giant, Hans comes up with a solution that not only saves his skin, but gives the giant a new view of the world at his feet.
Steve Light, the author, also illustrated the book. Light, who often teaches art to children, explains in a note how the idea for the design of the book arose. One day the children in his class noticed the fascinating patterns made by their shoe prints when they tracked paint on the floor. The artist scoured the town for old shoes and used the soles to make patterned, hand-printed paper, on which he placed his bright-colored collages. The result is a humorous, original tale, which is also bound to inspire some fun art projects at home or school.
