New shoes

This is a story set in the 1950’s, prior to the 1964 passage of the Civil Rights Act making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.

Ella Mae is a little girl who loves to look in the windows at Johnson’s Shoes, but her family can’t afford new

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shoes for her, so she gets hand-me-downs from her cousin Charlotte. But when Charlotte’s shoes become too small, Mama decides they just have to buy Ella Mae something new.

At Johnson’s, Ella Mae and her mom have to wait for the little blonde girl to be waited on first, even though she walked in after they did. Then they learn that although the other little girl can try on shoes, Ella Mae is not allowed. She has to trace her feet on paper, and they must buy whatever shoes the man decides match the picture.

The next day, while talking about what happened, Ella Mae and Charlotte get an idea. They do chores and errands around the neighborhood in exchange for outgrown shoes. Then they polish them and set them up on empty shelves in the barn.

They put up a sign: “Ella Mae and Charlotte’s Shoes: Price 10 cents and another used pair.” The neighbors come, and of course they are allowed to try on the shoes. “In our store,” Ella Mae says, “anyone who walks in the door can try on all the shoes they want.”

An author’s note at the end explains how Jim Crow segregation worked in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. But, she says, “as Ella Mae and Charlotte do, African Americans found ways of fighting back against the unfair system.”

Illustrator Eric Velasquez uses soft earth tones in his beautiful oil paintings to convey a sense of a previous era, but gives the girls bright pastel dresses to make them stand out.

Evaluation: There are messages and history lessons both subtle and overt in this gorgeous picture book.

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When Ella Mae and her mother go to buy new shoes, not only do they have to wait until after the white customers are served but also Ella Mae isn’t allowed to try on the shoes. Instead her mama has to trace the child’s feet and only then does Mr. Johnson, the proprieter, show her the shoes.

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Humiliation takes the joy out of having new shoes, and when Ella discovers her friend Charlotte had the same experience, she comes up with a plan. Together, she and Charlotte fix up their old shoes, polishing them, washing out dirty laces, and set up their own used shoe shop in an old barn near the house: “10 cents and another used pair.” Neighbors are quick to flock to buy shoes where they can try them on, noting “No need to go to Johnson’s now!” Although a work of fiction, the story highlights the very real discrimination that Blacks faced as late as the 1960s and shows the ingenuity of everyday citizens in fighting back against societal injustice. Velasquez’s magnificent paintings capture two spunky girls who face this heartrending situation. Today today’s readers will be aghast that scenes such as this occurred in their grandparents’ lifetime.

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A young girl named Ella Mae has wished for many years to walk into Johnson's Shoe store, try on new shoes, and buy them. However, she only gets part of her wish. She is able to go to Johnson's, be waited on after all of the white customers have finished, draw a picture of her feet, and then buy

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shoes that she hopes will be comfortable since she is not allowed to try any on. Realizing at a young age how unfair this is, she and her cousin Charlotte decide to work for nickels and used shoes. After a month of dedication, they put their profits together and open their open shoe store where anyone who enters is allowed to pick out, try on, and buy which ever shoe is most comfortable.
Some themes of this story are to stand up for what is right, never give up, discrimination, and to always treat other as you would want to be treated. The setting of this book takes us back to a time were segregation was in place. Because of the setting, terms such as "colored people" are used. The affect that the setting has here causes a huge impact. If this book were set in a later time, this situation could be completely different. One thing that really stuck out to me were the opening pages. The pages are covered in drawings of black children's feet. I had no idea what these were until I got deeper into the book.

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This historical fiction picture book is set in the 1950s. Ella Mae is absolutely delighted to go shopping for new shoes one day, only to become disappointed by her experience. The shop owner has her trace her feet rather than try on shoes. During this time period, African Americans were commonly

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forced to do this. Ella Mae and her cousin, Charlotte, use their creativity to come up with a way for their community to try on shoes. There are beautiful realistic illustrations that complement the text. Also, the book includes the author’s note at the back of the book that can be used as a tool for teaching and for more information.

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After years of hand-me-downs, Ella Mae’s older cousin's shoes are too small for her. She gets to get brand new shoes at Johnson’s! However, she is shocked when her mother must trace her feet with a pencil onto paper and that she can’t try on the shoes before they buy them. Why? She discovers

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her friends at school have had the same experiences. Yet, the white girl who arrived after she and her mother did was able to try on shoes. This book is unapologetically anti-racist because it tells what it was like for black people to buy clothing that they could not try on and how the schools are segregated by race, both by law.

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