A Pair of Red Clogs [Hardcover]

Masako Matsuno (Author), Kazue Mizumura (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2002 | Age Range: 3 and up

A child's delight in a new pair of shoes is the same all over the world, whether the shoes are patent-leather sandals, straw alpargatas, deerskin moccasins, or wooden clogs.

For Mako, a little Japanese girl, the new shoes were clogs painted with red lacquer that shone beautifully. This is the story of what happened after she cracked the new clogs playing the weather-telling game and so longed for a bright, shiny new pair to replace them that she almost did a dishonest thing.

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Purple House Press; First Edition edition (November 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930900201
• ISBN-13: 978-1930900202
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars buy this book for a child you love November 4, 2002

By Judith

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My mother recently mailed to me a 40 year-old copy of "A Pair of Red Clogs" that I had when I was small. I wept in recognition of the poignant, exquisite illustrations of this young girl's life in Japan which so delighted me as a very young child. I read it now to my two year-old son, who asks questions about "the weather-telling game" that cracked Mako's clogs. The story is character forming, but it's the illustrations that last a lifetime in memory.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A childhood favorite! April 24, 2006

By Brenda Sageng

Format:Hardcover

It's lovely to see this book is back in print. I received a copy as a birthday gift when I was 5 years old (it was a new publication then!) and continue to treasure that same volume today. I also received a real pair of clogs from Japan about the same time, so the story took on even more meaning for me. I have an opportunity to teach a workshop in Japan in May about how our experiences are reflected in our artworks -- and this beautifully illustrated story which taught me so much about integrity, as well as Japanese culture, will be an important reference in my presentation. Simple lessons, so important to a child's character,kindly taught, DO last a lifetime! This is an important book for your child's library.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pair of Red Clogs to be republished! June 16, 2002

By Jill Morgan

Format:Paperback

Purple House Press is reissuing A Pair of Red Clogs in the late fall of 2002! Same great story and pictures in a hardcover edition.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for all ages October 10, 2007

By Me

Format:Hardcover

My two boys, ages 2 and 5 love this book. Universal themes paired with beautiful Japanese art and poetry make it a winner.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A story with a message June 20, 2011

By Stephanie Buckner

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

We bought this to go with our Five in a Row homeschool curriculum, but it became a favorite! The story of a little girl who breaks her new red clogs playing the "weather telling" game and the shame of telling her mother what happens almost convinces her to lie.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent story for teaching some of the minor differences between cultures December 10, 2010

By Charles Ashbacher HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

The most significant aspect of this story is that it is set in Japan and the second is about the joyous memories of childhood after the fact. The title character is a young Japanese girl that receives a new pair of clog footwear. Like all children, she is proud of her new shoes and the sound they make as she walks. Unfortunately, while playing a game where you kick off your clog and watch how it lands, one of them gets cracked. The girl is very sad and gets them all muddy in the hope that her mother will buy her a new pair. This does not happen and the girl is sad. Fast forward many years in the future and the girl is now a grandmother and is buying a pair of clogs for her granddaughter. She looks in her closet and finds the old clogs and this story is her fond memories of her adventures with the new clogs.
A great deal of educational effort is now spent in schools at all levels in teaching multicultural concepts. Some of those concepts are major but most are minor ones where there is a great deal of similarity. One of the best ways to teach overall multiculturalism is in the small ways and this book is an example of how to do that. By illustrating the differences in the context of similarity, children find it easy to understand and relate to the people of other cultures.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great picture book! May 4, 2009

By Anne Ash's Mom

Format:Hardcover

We used this book in our homeschool curriculum (FIAR). It includes traditional Japanese culture and a moral lesson(honesty) without being too "preach-y" about it. It gave us a lot to talk about. It is well written and illustrated. My 4yr old really enjoyed it-- I think older children would like it too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure of a book! September 8, 2007

By J. Houchens

Format:Hardcover

My daughters 6 and 2 request this book so often and still I never tire of reading it. I began the search for high quality childrens books when I could barely get through one sitting of 'Strawberry Shortcake Strikes Again!' or the equivalent. This book is a joy for reader and readee;)