Dress Shoe Books

At last- a book for my 4 grandchildren and working daughter. I needed a children's book to explain to my grand kids why Mommy has to go to work. I watch my grandchildren while my daughter is at work a few a days a week and this book is just LOVELY! The story is simple, fun and has adorable illustrations. My granddaughter and three grandsons relate wonderful to the story and this one never just sits on the shelf. Also, A ladybug, heart and cupcake are cleverly hidden on each page (the grandkids favorite part!) All moms will love this book as it talks about all the jobs moms do inside and outside the home.

I must tell you that our collection of children's books rival that of any library. We are avid readers to our two girls (5yrs and 3 yrs). I hope that provides adequate context when I say that this book is our absolute favorite!! It is the one book that doesn't sit on the shelf. We are asked to read this over and over again. This provides such a kid-centric way to explain why Mommy (and Daddy) goes to work. Our kids have actually become excited for us when we leave to work in the morning! "Mommy's High Heel Shoes" is not just a great book to deliver a 'why we must work' lesson but it is a fun and creative book as well. It's full of wonderful illustrations and a very creative page-by-page scavenger hunt. Our kids love the story, pictures, and the interactivity of the scavenger hunt. I highly recommend this book.

This book is awesome. It's explanation of a working mom allows kids' minds to use their imagination as the character, "cakes" does. My 3 kids love reading through it and finding the ladybugs! It helps explain the many jobs parents have by using shoes as its metaphor. Very sweet, fabulous illustrations!
There are not enough books out there to help a working Mom or Dad! Thanks and Write more!

Finnan has succeeded in helping to solve one of the biggest dilemmas that a new working mom must face - explaining to her little ones why she must return to work. In a colorful, fun way, Mommy's High-Heeled Shoes is a book whose message is easy to grasp for every child. "Mommy loves me and she is my mommy, but she has other stuff she has to do as well." Alleluia. A message that works for at-home moms who have other responsibilities that take her away from her "mom" duties as well as the part-time or full-time working moms. This book is a breakthrough and a triumph not only for children, but for moms, too. By the way, the book itself is so-well done - the graphics are awesome. This book is a great find.

I've had the pleasure of adding this book to our family library, and it's become an instant favorite in our home! Using shoes as a metaphor for the "many roles of a Mommy", Ms. Finnan does a fantastic job of validating a working mother's relationship with her children, meanwhile exploring a child's imagination with a colorful cleverness that is equally matched by the illustrator, Ms. Achilles. The storyline is clever, and the illustrations are beautiful and appealing to both children and adults--in fact, this is the first storybook my toddler has ever sat through, and the first "hidden pictures" book my 5 year-old has taken an interest in. "Mommy's High Heel Shoes" will be finding its way under my friends' Christmas trees this year!

This is the third book I bought from this series and it just makes me want to go on buying the other ones to learn more about the Middle Ages. This book too, is not just an inventory of what was found and what the items look like, it is much more : the art of shoemaking and cobbling is described, there are references to art and literature and - for me by far the most interesting chapter - the social inferences of wear and tear are discussed. At the back of the book there are (very) short summaries in French and German and as always there is an extensive bibliography.
If you are into re-enacting, this book will not provide you with actual patterns, so it is not really a 'practical' book, but the bakground information is priceless.

Shoes and Pattens is one of THE two great books using actual finds to show footwear in the English Middle Ages. A must have for anyone who is interesed in recreating period footwear or simply knowing about leather uses.
The second book is Stepping Through Time (David Brown Books) which follows footwear found in Holland dating from pre-history to 1800.

This book does an EXCELLENT job of covering all the information that you'd want about shoes, there patterns, and all the data from the early 12th to 15th century. I give it four stars ONLY because I'd hoped for some 9th and 10th century information, otherwise, it's a 5-star. Find a shoe you need and enlarge it to your size, cut, and sew!!

Shoes And Patterns is an in-depth archaeological study of medieval footwear, made possible by preserved footwear of the 12th through 15th century discovered along the north bank of the river Thames and permanently housed in the collection of the Museum of London. The detailed and informative text is enhanced throughout this impressive work of archaeological and historical scholarship with numerous black-and-white photographs and drawings which make the shoes of centuries ago as real and practical as if they were worn today. An essential addition to academic Medieval History studies reference collections, Shoes And Patterns is particularly recommended reading for theatrical costumers, replica-makers, historical reenactors and anyone with a festive curiosity about this down-to-earth topic of medieval footwear.

Oh my goodness, this book is adorable! the text is bouncy and the illustrations burst off the page! My 2 year old loves to chime in 'Uh oh' and 'oh no!' during the refrain!

We happened upon this book in a vacation home on Martha's Vineyard and my two year old fell in love with it. He speaks the refrain himself. The book has a great rhythm that is fun to read for adults too. My son wants us to recite it from memory when the book is not around. We simply had to buy it when we got home.

Great rhyming text and fabulous illustrations. Toddlers (and parents) can identify with the story and pictures. You can read it the requisite ten thousand times and not want to die. Excellent addition to the bedtime library.

The photography in this book is wonderful! It's a great addition to my classroom library!

My son is 18 months and he loves this book. He loves the variety of shoes and the diversity in the book. It's an excellent book!

I just got a copy of this book, and I was totally impressed by it. The pictures in the book are amazing, of the highest quality, and they are taken with an excellent eye. The book contains snapshots from shoes around the world, showing the people that wear them and what they do when they wear them. Many cultures and peoples are represented here, and it made me want to go out and see these places! Definitely a must have book for every child. (and every adult with a child's sense of wonder)

Cute, good read-aloud book with wonderful drawings and nice touches of humor. Lots to see, lots to count.

I love the creativity of this book and its use of numbers. Cute, attention keeping, and very educational all in one.

Do you have a touchy feely toddler? Meet Lulu. This lucky girl displays a gamut of footwear - from glittery high heels to fuzzy bunny slippers. There is plenty your child can participate in: flaps to be lifted, a shoelace to tie, plus five other textures to enjoy. It's definitely a book that encourages the touch of a toddler.

The illustrations are bright and cheery - lots of bright pinks, purples and reds. I like her scale - Lulu's head is oversized for her body, and on some pages the shoes are larger to draw your attention. On a whole it comes off as funky and young.

This back cover proclaims it to be "the perfect book for shoe-obsessed toddlers." I didn't realize there were shoe-obsessed toddlers, but I think your average touch, poke, and prod toddler would enjoy this book. Maybe this is already obvious, but I would caution this book is geared to girls rather than boys/girls alike.

This is my 2 year old daughter's favorite book. It's a quick, easy read. The illustrations are great. It has interactive features such as velcro shoes, shoe laces, & different textures. I would highly recommend it for any girly girl out there.

To quote the previous reviewer "Come New Years Eve, see who will be wearing the new shoes and read about who faltered along the way." I can't wait to get to the end of the book to find out. It's about a bet that the girls in the story have made with each other and it climaxes (maybe too descriptive?) on New Years. It's a wonderful story with likeable charaters. Hopefully there will be a sequel. I rate this 5 stars. I'm glad I stumbled on this book.

Based in modern day Portland, Oregon, Shoes Are Better Than Sex is a tale of Libby Odette and her two quirky roommates, Bridget and Rosalynn, and a $100 bet that put a ban on dating.

Tired of dating losers and dorks, Libby and her two roommates make a vow to each other that they will have no dates, no kissing, and absolutely no sex until the New Year. Last man (or woman, in this case) standing wins the $300 ante to spend on shoes to wear on her first date of the year. Along the way, we meet William, Everett and Jack, three buddies with a bet of their own, and hilarity ensues.

Ever play the driving game Slug Bug? How about strip Slug Bug? Or ever go an a blind date having your friend on standby to make the proverbial 'emergency phone call' to you so you can bail on the date, if needed? This story starts with such a date and follows the frolics of our roommates and boys through their trip to Sequim, Washington for Christmas and ends with the long trip home sidetracked by a game of Strip Slug Bug and unnerving hotel stay in the midst of 'Mark, the bellhop' whose antics alone only prove to solidify the relationships of our main characters.

Come New Years Eve, see who will be wearing the new shoes and read about who faltered along the way.

I highly recommend this novel for anyone looking for a fun, light-hearted love story.Shoes are Better than Sex

What a shame this book is out of print. My 2 year old son loves this book.The illustrations are wonderfull the busy shoe shop and the cosy kitchen where Dad is making tea. Its the perfect rainy day book. My son always wants to go and put on his yellow boots just like Alfie and go out and jump in the puddles. SPLISH, SPLASH, SPLOSH

This book has been in my son's top-five ever since he could point to a book! It's the only Caillou item he has, but he loves it and knows all the words. Very cute story, great pictures! I'm hoping to buy another Caillou book that will be equally popular.

Trasko defines the subject of her study as "... only the most influential creations, as well as particularly inventive and unusual footwear. The focus here is on high fashion, with relatively little attention to working-class or middle-class shoes, which deserve their own study." And the day that we see a glossy book about those shoes will be the revolution. The reader should be aware the "quite a few fetish models are depicted, for they are among the most awe-inspiring shoes of their era ... ." I don't criticize their inclusion, but adults might want to flip through and decide if they want to explain to little ones why some of the women are oddly dressed, or naked except for boots. The reader should also be aware that shoes are generally limited to English, French, Italian and American.

As a woman who chooses her shoes almost entirely for comfort, this is about as close as I care to get to wearing most of them, but I must admit that they are sometimes gorgeous objects. It is frustrating that so little design effort is put into practical shoes: just because I like to be comfortable doesn't mean that I don't appreciate attractive stitching and clever color combinations. Trasko quotes shoe-designer Robert Vivier as saying that shoe design is "a sculptural problem in which the center is always a void." Generally speaking, I find that craft is better than art if one is going to actually use the thing. Trasko is quite aware of the tension here: as much as she loves high-fashion shoes, she is not blind to the foot problems that extreme styles cause, or the inhibiting effect such shoes have had one women. She celebrates the opportunity to switch among different styles.

The book draws upon many sources: advertising, design drawings, and what appear to be museum shots. As a result, although most of the book is in color, some are in black-and-white if they were shot before color became common. The pictures are generally large enough to show the details. They are placed so that almost all of the detailing, types of heels, for example, and all the designs discussed are illustrated. The text is generally in chronological order with significant detail about changes in design, i.e., the stileto heel. In some cases, pictures of the clothing fashionable at the time is included. My one suggestion for improvement would be to have more pictures like this (publishers just love lengthening books!) Althea Mackenzie's Shoes and Slippers: From Snowshill, one of the World's Leading Collections of Costume and Accessories of the 18th and 19th Centuries did a effective job of this using very small pictures: not a lot of detail, but one gets some sense of the overall effect. I found the text relatively succinct and very clear. There is some discussion of major designers and manufacturers, as well as changes in methods of production.

The book includes a table-of-contents, notes, a bibliography and an index. There is a mistake in the table of contents: the photographic credits are on page 131, not 128.

Both beautiful and informative.