Sitting on a cloud, God loses one of His boots and must go down to earth to look for it. He meets many people, but no one has the time to talk to Him or hear His story.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up-Sitting on a cloud and admiring a rainbow, God drops a boot. After traveling to Earth to retrieve it, He encounters indifference or hostility from almost everyone He meets. Eventually two policemen conclude that He is crazy and incarcerate Him. After God escapes, He meets the boy who found the boot, and soon realizes that the child is the only one who has time to listen to Him. The collage illustrations are as fragmented as the harried lives of the people too busy or rule-bound to help God. Depicted as a short, white-bearded grandfather in a blue robe, God doesn't appear particularly unusual among Carrer's assortment of primitively drawn humans. Although it is hard to identify an audience for this book, it may serve as a discussion starter for church gatherings of adults or young people older than the standard picture-book set.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. This simple story, originally published in Denmark, asks children to consider how God would be treated if He came down from Heaven. Come down He does, in search of his favorite boot, which has tumbled from the sky. His welcome is inauspicious. He is ignored, treated rudely, mistaken for a beggar. A priest invites him to a rummage sale; a shoe salesperson is sympathetic but can't get him the boot for a week; a policeman thinks he's crazy and takes him to jail--where he can commune with Napoleon. But the door is left unlocked, and God escapes. He then finds a young boy who recognizes him and has kept his boot safe. The story line is predictable, and this particular god is too befuddled and unaware of his creatures to provoke much interest. But the idea of God among us is a provocative one that may start a discussion among young children. The artwork is also creative, an intriguing jumble of watercolor, cut-paper, and photograph collage that is childlike in look, but sophisticated in execution. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple on one level, deeper on another; Great Artwork!,
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This review is from: A Boot Fell from Heaven (Hardcover)
This children's picture book is simple on one level but deeper on another and is illustrated with wonderful collages and mixed media.
This tale begins with God, pictured as an elderly man, sitting on a cloud in Heaven. Then his boot accidentally falls off his foot and drops down to Earth. God goes down to retrieve the boot and is challenged by many different kinds of rude and unhelpful adults. People mistake God for a homeless man, an insane person, and a beggar. At one point God is arrested by the police and is put into jail and threatened with admittance to an institution. In the end it is a little boy who found the boot and who gladly gives it to God. The little boy says he knew all along that it was God's boot and he wants to take time to talk with God. My children enjoyed the book and on their own, interpreted it on a very simplistic, literal level. This book could also serve as a jumping off point for discussions about heavier topics, if the parent initiates the discussion. This could also be used in a Sunday School or with a church group. Similar to the `Five in a Row' homeschooling unit study books, this picture book could be used as a literature based unit study with discussions about character traits and also about the art style of the books illustration. With my prompting my children and I had a more in depth discussion. Here are some things I think can be discussed: Why did the people not treat God well? Why did they think that people felt alright with not helping him? The issues with judging people based on their appearance. How all the adults were too busy to help God, why? Why taking the time to listen is good. Why being overly busy is not good. How some people try to solve problems by doing what they think is easiest or best even if that is not what the person who needs the help wants or is asking for. About respecting others despite their appearance. That people should respect the elderly. Why does the boy have more faith than the adults? I absolutely loved the artwork in this book. The artwork has collaged elements and hand drawn elements. Some of the pages were ephemera (papers from our daily lives which were meant to be temporary) which are sometimes painted upon for further decoration (and the text underneath peeks through). On some pages, the many layers of collaged text implies a busy-ness and chaos on the city streets. My children and I enjoyed trying to identify the papers used in the collages. We spotted text in several languages. I found a paper listing stock market quotes, another listing American music bands and another listing Hollywood stars and movie titles. I was thrilled to see that part of the cover is illustrated with an article about the release of a Bruce Springsteen album (as he is my favorite musician)! I wish there were more children's picture books with interesting illustrations like this! The publisher, Kane/Miller, is taking children's books which were first published in other countries, translating them to English if necessary, and republishing them for distribution in America. This book was originally published in Denmark. My review is based on reading a complimentary copy from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review on my blog. Other than receiving a review copy of the book, I was not paid to write this review.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An inspiring story,
This review is from: A Boot Fell from Heaven (Hardcover)
This book carries an important message -- one that all people can relate to.In the book, "A Boot Fell From Heaven," by Kare Bluitgen, God loses one of his boots and travels down to earth from heaven asking others if they have seen it. But no one has the time to speak with him. Finally, a young boy tells God that he has his boot and the time to listen to his story. MyParenTime recommends this book -- the collage-style illustrations help explain the story, which carries the message that we should all strive to achieve our goals no matter what obstacles get in our way. It also reminds us to slow down and take the time to listen to one another.
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