I think that this is a really great book that combines activism, history, beauty, heritage, and family into one short story. While all of these things are touched on very briefly, they still complement each other so nicely that each of them gets a point across.
- Activism because of the march that the main character attends.
- History because the story touches on the horrific Native American residential schools that used to be prevalent.
- Beauty because of the illustrations. The illustrator worked with light and fitting color palettes to convey wonder, discovery, and the stars in every illustration.
- Family because the main character leans on his mom for support, and finds out that his kokom went to a residential school and had to lean on her sister to feel less alone.
All of these things are sewn together beautifully, and it is impressive how the creators of this book managed to add so many layers to this story. Bravo!

Thank you NetGalley, Tundra Books, and David A. Robertson for the early access copy of Little Shoes.

Little Shoes tells the story of a child name James, who struggles to sleep thinking of big questions. On these nights he goes to his mother's room to talk about his questions and cuddle to fall asleep. One day James's kōkom takes him on a every child matters march that ends with a set of stairs that show bears, flowers, tobacco ties, and little shoes. James asks about what he is seeing and his kōkom explains that it is a memorial in honor of the Indigenous children who did not come home from residential schools. He learns his kōkom was sent to a residential school with her sister, who did not come home. That evening, James has trouble sleeping and again follows the moonlight to his mother. They talk about what he learned and how his kōkom had her sister during her experience. James falls asleep again in his mother's arms.

Little Shoes is a beautifully illustrated book that can be used as a tool with young readers to teach about residential schools, teach about every child matters marches, and talk about the children that did not come home. Lastly, there is a note at the end that discusses the inspiration of the story. This will be a must have book for school libraries.

David A. Robertson often tells stories of the First Nations people, either stories of being with his grandfather, out of the trapline. Or historical stories of First Nation people battling against the colonists, or modern stories of Indigenous kids having adventures. He has told stories of relatives that went to residential schools, as well.


In this story he takes a little boy, James, who worries about things. He worries about being flung off the earth, because it is always spinning. He can’t sleep the following night, because of all the stories of constellations that his grandmother (kokom) has told him, and he wants to know more.


Then he goes on a march with his kokom, and she takes him to a protest that ends in a memorial for all the children that died at residential schools. James tries to take it all in. All the shoes. Shoes that are his size. He learns that his great aunt and kokom went to residential school, and his great aunt never came home.


That night, he can’t sleep because he thinks about his great aunt that never came home. He wonders who cuddled her at night, the way his mother cuddles him now. His mother tells him they had each other.


It is a sad story, but it is the way that children think, and the illustrations are lovely, filled with love and life.


This is a gentler ending to the story, then could have been done, so it is a bit reassuring, which is what you want to tell your children, even if the truth was worse then that.


Still, this is a good story to have in any library collection, to gently introduct the idea of residential schools, and how many children were torn from their families and never came home.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out