Those Shoes, written by Maribeth Boelts, is a story about Jeremy, who really wants a pair of “cool shoes” like the other kids have, but his family cannot afford them. One day, he finds them in a thrift shop and even though they are too tight on him, he buys them anyway. He faces a tough decision knowing that there is another kid in his class that can’t afford new shoes too, who would fit the shoes he bought. Eventually, Jeremy decides to give them to the other boy, and both end up happy. This charming book illustrates not just the importance of being kind, but how hard being kind can sometimes be.

Boelts, M. & Jones, N. (Illustrator), 2007. Those shoes. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.