Put Your Shoes On

A truly universal and empathetic look at everyday family life that also celebrates the importance and the dignity of a child’s inner world.

Cleverly fusing together two unique art styles, the award-winning author-illustrator of Penguin here connects us to the inner life of a child and all the little worries and distractions they wrestle with as soon as they know they have to leave home. A funny and cosy book to help parents and kids better understand each other.

Mummy is desperate for Josh to put his shoes on – they have Aunty Nelly’s party to go to! His cousins Tobias and Clementine will be there. (With their best shoes on.) While she asks nicely, cajoles, and eventually shouts (a bit), what she can’t see is that Josh is actually VERY BUSY: he is completely lost in his own imaginative landscape inhabited by wild and wonderful creatures, made from real children’s drawings by Polly Dunbar’s son. In his own head, Josh is indeed putting shoes on … just not on his own feet.