Abukacha's Shoes

by Tamar Tessler

Overview

Abukacha finally throws away his worn out shoes and gets himself a new pair. But the old shoes, somehow, keep finding their way back to him.

When author and illustrator Tamar Tessler was a little girl, her aunt would tell her the story of Abukacha and his shoes — a story that had been told to her by her own Polish aunt, Fella. The plot was always different, but the problem remained the same — Abukacha had the biggest shoes in the world, and he couldn’t get rid of them no matter what he did. Inspired by her husband, who refused to throw away a worn-out pair of shoes, Tamar wrote her own version of the story, and created art that incorporates her cherished family photos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554984589
Publisher:	Groundwood Books
Publication date:	05/01/2015
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD1080L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

TAMAR TESSLER is an illustrator and graphic designer living in Tel Aviv. She is a graduate of the Ascola School of Design in Tel Aviv and the Sam Spiegel Film and TV School in Jerusalem, where she studied script writing. This is her first book. 

Editorial Reviews

If you needed further testimony about the magical power of stories, you’ve undoubtedly found it right here.

BookDragon

Textural and whimsical . . . Highly recommended.

CM Magazine

"If you needed further testimony about the magical power of stories, you’ve undoubtedly found it right here." — BookDragon

"Young readers will smile and enjoy and keep the memories alive. Funny and charming." — Kirkus Reviews

"Textural and whimsical . . . Highly recommended." — CM Magazine


"He paid a visit to his neighbor, the shoemaker, and together they deliberated and thought, drew up patterns and cut, and created a glorious pair of shoes — strong but flexible, beautiful yet not too flashy and, most important of all, a perfect fit for Abukacha’s enormous feet."

— from the book

From the Publisher

2015-03-03
No matter how hard Abukacha tries to discard his old, worn-out shoes, they always find their way back to him.Abukacha has "the biggest shoes in the whole wide world," making them instantly recognizable to everyone. When he has a new pair made, he throws the old ones in the trash. The garbage collector sees them, assumes a mistake has been made, and helpfully returns them. Throwing the shoes in the sea or down a deep well proves equally futile, as the shoes are returned each time. When he sends them aloft in a hot air balloon, it seems as if he might finally succeed. But lo and behold, they float back, and he recognizes that they really belong right there with him. The action-packed tale is told in breezy, accessible language. Employing mixed-media and collage in a palette of mostly earth tones, Tessler establishes the atmosphere of an old folk tale with tractors, trucks, and other modern elements added. All the characters appear in the form of cut photographs arranged with large heads placed on bodies in appropriate positions and stances. In an author's note Tessler explains that this tale was told for generations in her family and the photos honor family members lost in the Holocaust. Young readers will smile and enjoy and keep the memories alive. Funny and charming. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews