The Shoe Tree of Chagrin

by J. Patrick Lewis, Chris Sheban (Illustrator)

Tall tale of plainswoman Susanna DeClare and her handmade shoes.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2001

About the author

J. Patrick Lewis is the current Children's Poet Laureate. He has written more than seventy children's books, including Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. J. Patrick Lewis lives in Ohio.

Reviews

[Netopier · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She was as strong as a lockbox and as long as a good spit in the windstorm..."

A sweet little story about the tallest of the great plainswomen who made shoes for the good folks in the Ohio Valley that lasted a lifetime.

While not very long, it was thoroughly enjoyable reading - credits also goes to Chris Seban's enticing and atmospheric illustrations which certainly enriched the whole story.

If I ever find myself in Bainbridge I'll definitely visit one of the shoe trees, now, when I know what story preceded them.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating prose in a tall tale. The first two pages contain these two descriptions:

"Susannah DeClare was ... as long as a good spit in a windstorm."
And...
"She was at least as old as honesty."

The rest of the text was just gravy.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent all the way around, no wonder it's an award winner!