Four Feet, Two Sandals [School & Library Binding]

Karen Lynn Williams (Author), Khadra Mohammad (Author), Doug Chayka (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

When relief workers bring used clothing to a refugee camp in Pakistan, ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly - until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. But soon Lina and Feroza meet and decide that it is better to share the sandals than for each to wear only one. As they go about their rountines - washing clothes in the river, waiting in line for water, and watching for their names to appear on the list to go to America - the girls discover the true meaning of friendship and sacrifice. This book honors the experiences of refugee children around the world, whose daily existence is marked by uncertainty and fear. Warm colors and bold brush strokes are the perfect complement to this story of courage and hope.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen Lynn Williams has written several books about the difficult lives of children around the world, including Galimoto (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard), Tap-Tap (Clarion), and Circles of Hope (Eerdmans). Karen has lived in Haiti and Malawi, but now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Khadra Mohammed is the executive director of the Pittsburgh Refugee Center and has worked with refugees in the United States and abroad for more than twenty years. Khadra lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Doug Chayka has illustrated several children's books, including Beekeepers by Linda Oatman High and Yanni Rubbish by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim (both Boyds Mills), and The Pink House at the Seashore by Deborah Blumenthal (Clarion). His work has also appeared in various publications, and has been honored by the Society of Illustrators. Doug teaches illustration at the Pratt Institute and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 28 pages
• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (August 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802852963
• ISBN-13: 978-0802852960
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 12.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Middle East

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful yet serious picturebook, highly recommended for children's public library and personal collections., September 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Four Feet, Two Sandals (School & Library Binding)

Based on co-author Khadra Mohammed's experiences with refugees in Peshawar, a city on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Four Feet, Two Sandals is a children's picturebook about ten-year-old Lina and her young friend who each discover one of a wonderful pair of sandals. Together they must solve the problem of how to share one pair of sandles between four feet! As they wait and hope for their names to appear on a list for a new home, the sandals become a symbol of their fast friendship - a bond that will endure even when one of them finally has the opportunity to escape the hard conditions and live in a new land. The broad brush strokes of illustrator Doug Chayka draw the reader in to the harsh and barren world of the refugees, where positive human relationships are an particular treasure amid the daily difficulty of survival. A thoughtful yet serious picturebook, highly recommended for children's public library and personal collections.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, August 13, 2008

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Four Feet, Two Sandals (School & Library Binding)

Lina and Feroza, two young girls from Afghanistan living in a refugee camp in Pakistan, first meet after a frenzied crowd has jostled for used clothing that relief workers threw off the back of a truck. What could have been a misfortune, with each girl retrieving one sandal from a matching pair, turns out to be a stroke of luck as the girls take turns with the sandals and become friends. This friendship helps them to endure the hardships of their daily routines collecting water, washing clothes in the river, mourning lost family members, and caring for younger siblings while boys in the camp attend school. The sandals later take on a symbolic role when one of the girls leaves camp for a new home.

This moving book provides an effective tool for teaching about what it means to be a refugee, how children in refugee camps spend their time, and how the experiences can differ for girls and boys. Although the topic may be weighty and difficult, the tone is relatively subtle and hopeful so as to appeal to young readers. Intertwined with the touching story are valuable economics lessons about scarcity, human resources, wants, and needs. The dramatic artwork and compelling text work well together to make reading this book a memorable experience.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book with global appeal about friendship in a unique environment, March 28, 2009

By 

Jay Jayapalan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Four Feet, Two Sandals (School & Library Binding)

Four Feet Two Sandals was written by the authors in response to a request from girls in a refugee camp for a story about girls like them. I suspect that there are only a few books for children that increase awareness of the plights of refugee children around the world. This book gives a glimpse of their lives to adult and young readers alike through colorful illustrations and language suitable for young readers. It teaches about scarcity of resources and sharing. It vividly illustrates a friendship based on sharing of one pair of sandals and the hardships experienced by two girls. In addition to being a book that parents would want to share with their children, it will enhance the collection of any community or faith-based library.