The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot, the Shoe King's Son

Johnny Longfoot #1

by Catherine Besterman, Warren Chappell (Illustrator)

Based on a Polish folktale, it tells the story of a shoe king's son who outwits guard dogs and a bear and is sent on a quest for gold and seven-league boots by a cat.

Genres: Childrens, Juvenile

147 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1947

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Catherine Besterman doesn't seem to have written many books—the only two I find record of are this one and a sequel a couple of years later—but she earned a 1948 Newbery Honor for The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot, the Shoe King's Son, a lighthearted adventure rooted in Polish folklore. Peter Longfoot, a renowned shoemaker, worries that his young son Johnny doesn't get enough sunlight and fresh air living in the city, so he decides to send him for a brief stay with his wealthy uncle Lucas in the country. Johnny cheekily second-guesses his father's choice—if Lucas is as penurious as Peter says, will he even feed Johnny?—but the boy departs the next morning on a stagecoach, wearing his father's comically oversized coat, hat, and boots. He's sad to part ways with Peter, but is curious what Uncle Lucas will be like.

Arriving at his uncle's estate, Shoestring Manor, Johnny is accosted by a pack of dogs whose job is to guard Lucas from intruders. Riffing on Peter's reputation as the "Shoe King", Johnny claims to be a prince, and the dogs allow him past for an audience with his uncle. What a sight awaits: Lucas Longfoot is bald, scrawny, and wears only a coarse sack for clothing. He's too cheap to properly feed himself or his dogs; even Fuzzy the Hugger, a bear he keeps on the property should an intruder sneak past the dogs, is pitifully skinny. Lucas is horrified that his nephew is visiting—a growing boy undoubtedly will ask to eat at some point—and the Shoe King's son is astonished at the man's stinginess. Uncle Lucas is lavishly rich, yet lives like a beggar and insists his guests and animals do the same. After taking permission to leave Shoestring Manor with Fuzzy and the dogs to find food, Johnny spots a public notice posted in the woods by Barnac the Cat, Squire of Catnap. It offers a reward to anyone willing to cross the stormy sea to Coral Island, where a vast treasure lies untouched. A pair of legendary seven-league boots is among that treasure; he who retrieves them for Barnac will be grandly compensated. Johnny, the dogs, and Fuzzy aren't pleased that Uncle Lucas insists on going along, but it's better than all of them starving at Shoestring Manor.

A boat is needed to cross the sea; luckily, among the entourage of cats that Barnac sends with Johnny, one named Captain Cat has seafaring experience. Under his guidance the adventurers construct a ship they christen The Dancing Bear, and are ready to sail for Coral Island. Wild storms slam the ship and strange creatures lurk in the deep sea, but The Dancing Bear continues onward. Uncle Lucas is no help; his greed hurts morale, and often puts the lives of Johnny and the animals in jeopardy. Is there any redeeming such a bitter, selfish man? The animals gravitate toward Johnny, whose kindness and intelligence make him an ideal leader. In a scary moment he becomes lost at sea and is presumed dead by the crew, but Johnny uses his shoemaking ability to convince a group of whales and sharks to save his life, if he promises to stitch their injuries for them. Meanwhile, The Dancing Bear washes ashore on Coral Island. The treasure and seven-league boots are here, but what good are they if the cost was Johnny's life? Uncle Lucas is dazzled by the treasure and plots to betray his shipmates for it, but Johnny has something to say about that; he hasn't given up on reforming his uncle even if the animals have. Will the boy reunite with his crew and make it back to Catnap to present Barnac with the boots, or is Lucas the anchor that will drag them to a watery grave?

"There are no limits when a miser becomes generous."

—Barnac, P. 143

"(A) kind and brave heart is worth more than all the jewels in the world."

—The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot, the Shoe King's Son, P. 145

This book has a good message, buried as it is beneath a dry, convoluted story that lacks emotional involvement. The characters are mostly flat, but at least Johnny has a flare for sarcasm in addition to his generally sweet disposition. The writing is genuinely funny at times, especially the first chapters; Johnny's rapport with his father is amusing, and it's too bad the book makes so little use of it. What I'll remember about The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot, the Shoe King's Son is Uncle Lucas: you can hoard great wealth, but if doing so requires you to live in permanent destitution, what good has your saving done you? All the money in the world is useless if you won't put it to work on behalf of yourself and loved ones, but when an Ebenezer Scrooge changes his ways, it's a miracle. I might give this book the full two stars; I'd do that and more if there were any emotional substance or the characters were halfway believable. I don't love The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot, the Shoe King's Son, but there is wisdom to be mined from it, and I benefited from the experience.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Read at UPenn's online archive.)

What a delight! I think one of the things that's so special is that it's for children younger than the usual Newbery audience. I believe that even 5 year olds would enjoy hearing this read to them.

I loved the 'quaintness' about it. It reads very old-fashioned, even for 1948, but still accessible. For example, one character gets a bit of advice that I wonder if Dickens' Scrooge couldn't have used: "[D]on't try to become generous overnight. You could get dizzy from the sudden change."

Some of the vocabulary might be rich for the youngest listeners & readers, but that's ok... I know I always loved books that helped me learn new juicy words.

[Shell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot won a Newbery Honour Award in 1948 so don't let my two star rating put you off. It is beautifully written and has some lovely qualities but I found it lacked depth and the characters were a bit bland.

This tale about Johnny's quest is quite witty for a children's story. His adventures with his animal friends through the mountains and across the ocean to the coral island would probably be quite magical to a child and I wish that I could have read this when I was younger so that I could fully appreciate it.

If you have children, this would make an excellent bedtime story.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this 5 "Newbery" stars. What that means is that this might not compare to say, my 5-star rating on Jane Eyre, but compared to other Newbery books, especially those in the older quadrant, it's top-notch! I actually read it in one sitting on a beach in Mexico. That is a rarity when it comes to reading the Newbery books.

Johnny Longfoot is sent to spend the summer with his thrifty uncle. Unfortunately, his uncle is thriftier than can be imagined. Johnny instantly gets in trouble for breathing his air and wanting some of his dried bread softened with tears.

Luckily Johnny is a resourceful chap and says he will set out with his uncle's dogs and bear and find some food and also some leather to make his uncle some nice clothing. They find a delicious meal at the home of Barnac the Cat. Barnac makes a proposal to Johnny. He wants Johnny to track down some seven-league boots and make them to fit Barnac. He offers some comforting words as they set out on their perilous journey.

I only hope that if my neighbor falls into the sea and is eaten by a shark, he still will remember me with deep gratitude, even while enjoying his stay in the shark's stomach.

Barnac sends some mice to tell the uncle where his crew is headed and the uncle is furious. He decides that he has to go give Barnac a piece of his mind and make sure his thieving nephew isn't getting a great treasure without him.

There's plenty that Johnny's going to have to pay for! Just thinking of it all may give me a nervous breakdown. Here's the list: He breathed my air; he stepped on my ground; he took my dogs and my bear; his friends, the cats, damaged my skin; I lost my grain; and on top of it all, he made a fool of me. That's awful.

The merry crew and grumpy uncle set out on a grand adventure where they meet some helpful bears and Johnny gets a Sea Passport.

I found the whole story quite delightful. It had a whimsical, fairytale feel that I loved. It was also short and I've found with Newbery books, in most cases, the shorter the better.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind reading this again and I think it might even be fun to read in class. There are a lot of funny parts that the students would like.

Newbery Honor 1948

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENGLISH: A quaint story, with talking animals and a curious protagonist (the shoemaker prince) who must recover and adapt the seven-league boots for the use of a very rich cat.

ESPAÑOL: Un cuento pintoresco, con animales parlantes y un curioso protagonista (el príncipe zapatero) que debe recuperar y adaptar las botas de siete leguas para uso de un gato muy rico.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a stupid book. Very tempting to give it 1 star, but then I look back at my 1 star books... man they're bad.

So anyway, the idea of this book is nice. A boy goes to visit his miserly uncle, they go on an adventure in search of treasure, and the uncle learns that miserliness never was happiness. If

Here's the problem. The cuteness and silliness is exaggerated into absurdity and stupidity.

The best part about this book is that it is short and easy to be done with.

[Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book. I believe that the book is supposed to feel like an old book. Granted, this was written in the 1940's, but, the language is outdated for that time period as well. It is probably intended to be like any of a number of other whimsical children's stories starring talking animals.

I still don't know if I liked this book.

The part that bothered me is that whenever a problem shows up in the book, the solution is only a paragraph away. Some of the solutions are just too ridiculous. It's just too fast of a resolution.

I don't know though. It was interesting enough to finish it and there were several portions that were very likable.

[Lynette Caulkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange 1948 Newbery book. The adventures inside are highly imaginative and rather original - largely involving talking animals, and I expect kids would adore the very young and heroic protagonist. The illustrations even call to mind Paddington Bear. :)

But my adult mind had a major "Dude!" moment (in light of this holding the Newbery honor) at the "severely" commented, "You are a remarkable jackass," from father to son when it's not supposed to be an abusive relationship. Also, who, even in 1947, sends a 6yo off entirely on their own, without prior arrangements, to travel to their uncle's whom they've never met, who is a nasty, mean miser?

(Side thought: Was this book the product of a miserable summer spent by the author with relatives, and his mind's very creative mental escape from his situation?)

No worries, though. Amusing cat kingdoms, dancing bears, helpful ocean denizens, and Pirate booty and magic boots are all par for the course as Johnny saves the day multiple times, even winning over his nasty old uncle. It's all Happily Ever After in the end!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 stars. Purportedly based on a Polish folktale, this short novel is very similar in feel (even as toward its title) to "The Old Tobacco Shop: A True Account of What Befell a Little Boy in Search of Adventure" (William Bowen, Newbery Honor 1922). It has a 'old' feel to it (probably the folktale element). Ultimately it's a trickster hero tale. Johnny Longfoot is sent to summer with his uncle who well known for thriftiness, i.e. stinginess. Along the way he tricks and befriends his uncle's guard dogs and bear, the neighboring Cat King, a clan of mountain bears, the animals of the ocean, and even the sea winds. Along the way he teaches his uncle about generosity. I think it would be suitable as a read aloud for 5-8 year olds. I read this for my 2019 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor Book, 1948).

[Roni · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick and easy reading. It was about the young boy named Johnny who was shoe apprentice well-taught by his father. His father was known as the Shoe-King. His father decided to send him to his uncle for vacation, however he warned him that his uncle was well-known for being thrifty. Johnny had a lifetime adventure by traveling with dancing bears, 3 dogs and several cats along with his uncle in tow. His uncle learned the motto at end of the story which was good ones.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale contains quite a bit of humor that is more suitable for adults than for children. In some ways, it is in the same league as The Land of Green Ginger. Other aspects are more juvenile, like My Father's Dragon.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 1948 Newbery Honor book felt rather out-of-date. It is a cute story, but not in the same way that My Father's Dragon (a 1949 Newbery Honor by Ruth Gannett) is cute, plus it hasn't stood the test of time as well as Gannett's book, which is still in print and marketed to new readers.

[Ethan Hulbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time. Johnny Longfoot is a treasure. This has inspired so much in my life, mostly my sense of perpetual wonderment and fantasy.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the way the story played out...and I loved the cover and some of the pictures c:

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing gripping about this fantasy story, but I was not at all familiar with the Polish folktale on which is was based. The writing felt more antiquated than having been published in 1947. Maybe a younger audience would enjoy this more.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a romp of a story. There was quite a lot of fun, but the first half of it seemed fairly random. Not my favorite, but it was enjoyable.

[Desiree']

1948 Newbery honor book

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny goes off to spend his vacation with his "thrifty" Uncle Lucas, who is miserly and ungiving to everyone, including himself. They go from one adventure to the next along with talking cats, bears, and dogs. There is, of course, a ship, which seems mandatory for many of the early Newbery adventures.

I liked this even though it was very strange. I'm always a fan of a character with not very many good traits changing in the end, although it did seem kind of abrupt. I guess if you're starving and thirsting to death on a ship, your perspective on life might change rapidly.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairytale feel to this adventure story as a young boy sets out to gain his fortune complete with animal companions.