Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Sujean Rim (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Age Range: 1 - 6 years

Birdie carefully slipped her little toes into one shoe,
then slid into the other.

She looked at herself in the mirror...
and gasped.

Birdie can't wait to be just like her mom. She loves wearing jewelry, spritzing perfume bottles, and dressing up in front of the mirror. But more than anything, Birdie fantasizes about her mother's fancy high-heels. She can't wait to try them on and do all the things she likes to do wearing beautiful "big-girl shoes."

Little girls will love walking with Birdie as she spends a day in her mother's shoes, but in the end they may find that, like Birdie, they like their "barefoot shoes" best of all.

With playful watercolors and clever textured cut-paper designs, this precious picture book will speak to every little girl who longs to be a "big-girl".

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS—Doe-eyed Birdie, a budding five-year-old fashionista, is her ultra-stylish mother's eager wardrobe assistant, selecting jewelry, sunglasses, perfume, and shoes for Mom to wear each morning. When her mother finally grants Birdie permission to try on her closet full of "big-girl shoes," Birdie is thrilled. But she soon discovers that feeling glamorous in Mom's stilettos doesn't combine well with dancing or turning cartwheels, concluding that her "beautiful barefoot shoes" are still the best choice for her. (Practical girl, that Birdie!) The bold, stylized watercolor and collage illustrations, paired with spare, simple text, are set against ample white space and burst with bright, attractive textile patterns. A light confection for the preschool dress-up set.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT END

From Booklist

First-time author and illustrator Rim doesn’t stray far from her roots as a shoe designer and retail illustrator for this light confection about a little girl who covets her mother’s high heels. The drawings retain a trendy fashion feel through an emphasis on spare lines and heavy patterns, but the playfulness of the details—Birdie’s hot-pink toenails, her mother’s Audrey Hepburn–like posture—heightens the appeal for those yearning for more sophistication than what’s offered by Jane O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy. Birdie starts out only dreaming, wide-eyed, about the closetful of footwear Mom possesses. “She loved her crocodile pumps and her summer peep-toes and all her strappy sandals.” Once Birdie tries the big-girl shoes out, however, she finds they’re not all that practical for everything she has imagined, and are just plain awkward when cartwheeling and dancing. Her conclusion—“For now, she liked her beautiful barefoot shoes most of all”—seems a fine, age-appropriate response, an antidote to any undue expectations that childhood be rushed through. How refreshing. Preschool-Grade 1. --Karen Cruze

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 1 - 6 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316044709
• ASIN: B004X8W7AQ
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This was an amusing and very charming story of a little girl's desire to emulate her mother all rolled into one! Shoes! Shoes! December 4, 2009

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Birdie was the type of little girl who just didn't feel right if she didn't get all dolled up in the morning. She'd seen her mother get all dressed up and that was exactly what she wanted to do. On went the sunglasses, the sparkling beaded necklace and the number four perfume. A little squeeze on the perfume bottle atomizer and she was all set for the day. Of course her dog, Monster, always selected the perfect scent for her. There was only one thing missing. She had perfectly painted toes, but she just "longed to wear her mother's shoes."

She'd put up her shades and stare at the "crocodile pumps and her summer peep-toes and all her strappy sandals." No, she was not old enough for "big-girl" shoes and her mother wasn't going to allow her to wear them. Not a chance. Birdie's wide eyes were downcast and sad, but there was nothing to say she couldn't imagine "how grown up she'd feel dancing in high heels." She imagined all kinds of fun things she'd do with such "beautiful shoes." She decided to ask her mother again and promised that she would "take care of them . . . `cross my heart! Pretty please?" Well, maybe her mother would let her try them out for a little while. YES!

This was an amusing and very charming story of a little girl's desire to emulate her mother all rolled into one. I enjoyed the sweet progression of the story and loved the little feminine Fancy Nancy type of dialogue and illustrations. This is definitely a story for a little fashion conscious girl. On the end pages there are many different illustrations of shoes that Birdie and other little girls would simply adore. Sujean Rim was "originally a shoe and accessory designer" and has penned the perfect book for the future Prada girl!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable - love the illustrations February 24, 2012

By jjv711

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I highly recommend this book. I don't have kids but I love to give books to my friends that are new parents. I look for recommended books, but I especially like to give kids' books with beautiful illustrations. This one hits the mark! This illustrations are lovely - it's a perfect gift for a little girl. I'll be buying more from this series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Birdie Girl Heaven December 7, 2011

By Jgiles

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Little girly girls will love reading about this sweet and silly girl. We bought two Birdie books and cannot wait until more are available!