Grandma's Shoes — Libby Hathorn

K-Gr 3-After Grandma's death, family and friends comment sadly, ``Who could ever step into such a woman's shoes.'' Her granddaughter wonders, too, who could ever do all that Grandma did to make people happy. Under a chair in the room the two of them shared is the key to understanding: a pair of Grandma's shoes. When the girl slips into them, she is whisked away on a fantasy journey filled with the smell of the woman's garden, the soft brush of butterfly wings like the touch of her hands, reminders of her stories. One night, she actually hears Grandma's singing, she sees her smiling face, and Grandma tells her that someday as an adult she will be the one to fill her shoes. (Younger children will need the comfort of an adult to interpret this after-death encounter.) Warm family support is nicely interwoven with fantasy/ dreams, presenting a sense of security; a younger sister listening to the girl's stories gives the feeling of continuity so necessary when children experience the death of someone dear. In the watercolor and pencil paintings, the dream/fantasy scenes are bright and abstract, while homey vignettes in softer, more subdued tones evoke the love and the legacy the woman imbued in her family. An important addition to picture-book collections.-Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE