One Red Shoe

by Karin Gruß, Tobias Krejtschi (Illustrations)

You're about to go to a place where thousands, even millions, of kids live every day. You're about to enter a war zone.         There's been an attack. Grabbing his camera, a newspaper photographer rushes to the nearest clinic. What he finds there will change the way he thinks forever. Inspired by real events in the Middle East, this groundbreaking and acclaimed picture book for older readers will take you to a place far from comfort and safety. What could you possibly have in common with the kids who live there? You're about to find out. One Red Shoe was named one of the five Most Beautiful German Books of 2013 in the children's book category by the German Book Art Foundation.

Genres: Picture Books, War, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captures the horror of war by focusing on an item owned by a wounded child - powerful.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book geared towards "older readers" this short story takes the reader into a war zone where a school bus has just been attacked from the viewpoint of a war journalist. Subtle, somber and non-graphic despite what has happened-you won't shake this one anytime soon.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting.

[Marta Timbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful yet haunting. Geared at upper elementary or middle school. Perfect for units on symbolism, war and conflict, and comparing and contrasting.

[Jennifer B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I'm missing something here. Maybe it's the translation (I read this in Spanish), but it isn't very clear what actually happened, even with the illustrations.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grisly picture book for older readers, the reader steps into the shoes of a journalist as he experiences the horrors of war first-hand. The jolt of that one red shoe makes way for critical thinking, reflection, and connection to a world many students [hopefully] never have to live in. The illustrations are "beautifully haunting" as another GR reviewer puts it.

[Donna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short, very sobering picture book of how different life can be for a school child living in the Gaza strip compared to a child in the United States. Shows the horror of war and violence on the innocent. The illustrations and use of grays, blacks, and reds provide a haunting and striking interpretation.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Red Shoe by Karin Gruss, illustrated by Tobias Krejtschi – Upsetting beautiful book about conflict, impact of conflict on a community, and much more. Told from the perspective of an adult, still poignant and touching.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a picture book for older readers - very powerful and thought-provoking. It brought tears to my eyes. The illustrations are kept in shades of grey with only the shoes in red, which further underlines the story's mood and message.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. Hauntingly beautiful.

[Tracy Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of how tough it is to be a war correspondent and how close to home things can get.

[Beth P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an intense read. For older students.

[Karen Wales · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very well written and/or translated. The story seems to start part way through and is a disjointed. The narrator's little "daydream" of the boy getting up and playing basketball doesn't read well either. The idea of commonality with other children that the author is trying to convey, while laudable, didn't, in my opinion, work.

It is also unclear what age the book is geared for. The content is too old and graphic for traditional picture book readers while the format seems too young for those older children who might benefit from reading it.

The illustrations, however, do convey the story well.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmmmm............

[Cat Fithian · Rating 3 out of 5]

War in the Gaza Strip, originally published in Germany. Stark, sad, harsh, beautiful. Not for storytimes.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A devastating portrait of child vicitms from an attack in a Middle East war zone. Originally published in Germany.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

A darker look at conflict in war and the effect it has, and can have on children.