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The shoe tree of Chagrin / by J. Patrick Lewis ; illustrations by Chris Sheban.

by Lewis, J. Patrick

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Mankato, MN : Creative Editions, c2001.

32 p. : col. ill. ; 30 cm.

With contagious wonder and language as broad as the lady herself, Lewis (Good Mousekeeping, p. 743, etc.) adds an outsized new member to the ranks of tall- tale heroines, introducing itinerant cobbler Susannah DeClare: 'Strong as a lockbox and as long as a good spit in a windstorm.' As welcome for her news as for her shoes, Susannah worked the small towns of the Ohio Valley years ago, taking orders, then returning months later with finished footwear and updates on births, deaths, and other events she'd gathered along the way. Alas, after many years she met her end making one final pre-Christmas delivery to Chagrin Falls, braving the chill of a hard 'Snohio' winter to hang her wares on a tree outside town-a tree that actually exists and is still hung about with shoes. Fancy typeface and layout give the pages an over-designed look, but brawny, gray- haired Susannah towers as convincingly in Sheban's dusky scenes as in the grand music of Lewis's words, and fans of Anne Isaacs's Swamp Angel (1994) will welcome her into the fold. (Picture book/tall tale. 7-10) 32p.-

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Susannah DeClare travels the Ohio Valley taking orders for all types of shoes. Tall enough to repair a bell clapper in a church steeple on her tiptoes, the elderly cobbler makes shoes that last a lifetime. In Chagrin Falls, newcomer Reggie Kinsgsbury is skeptical that the townspeople will ever see the cobbler or their money again. When DeClare fails to appear at the expected time, the worries increase until people discover a tree, hung with dozens of shoes. Despite an afterward giving the location of the existing 'Shoe Tree,' this appears to be an original tall tale. Lewis embroiders the slender thread of a story with rich, lively language. In a palette dominated by greens and browns, the gauzy art creates a foglike atmosphere. The illustrations convey DeClare's stature and dignity but fail to express her vitality and spirit. Best suited for libraries in the Ohio Valley, this is also an interesting sample of locally inspired folklore. - Linda Perkins; 32p-

BL 12/15/2001 0731

KK 09/01/2001 1295

The barn-tall old plainswoman Susannah DeClare braves deep snow and icy weather to fulfill her promise to deliver a load of handmade shoes to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, by Christmas.

Christmas stories.

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Copy/Holding information

Location	Collection	Call No.	Status
Main Library - Dayton	Children's Christmas Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Huber Heights Library	Children's Christmas Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Kettering Moraine Library	Children's Picture Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Miami Township Library	Children's Picture Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
New Lebanon Library	Children's Picture Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Northmont Library	Children's Picture Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Outreach Services	Children's Picture Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Vandalia Library	Children's Holiday Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Vandalia Library	Children's Holiday Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList
Wilmington Stroop Library	Children's Christmas Books	LEWIS	Available	Request This Item Only Add Copy to MyList

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