Because of a Shoe

By: Julie Fogliano

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt

Everybody has tantrums (kids and moms) in this tender yet funny audiobook about an especially impossible-to-put-on pair of shoes—from New York Times bestselling author Julie Fogliano and three-time Caldecott Honor winner Marla Frazee, creator of The Boss Baby.

Even when it’s time to put on our favorite shoes and leave the house, and even when that time turns into a tantrum where someone can’t stop screaming, or flopping on the floor, or throwing a shoe across the room, and someone is making their maddest face and everyone else is waiting . . . Even then, nothing can come between the loving bond of a mother and their child. Not even a shoe.

With expressive text from bestselling author Julie Fogliano, here is a story that takes listeners through a downward spiral of a shoe-inspired tantrum and is a reminder that even in moments of frustration, we are always our most loveable selves.

Critic reviews

★ "[A] compassionate picture book....the creators affirm that love persists through emotionally overwhelming moments, and that one can go back to putting one foot in front of another—shod or otherwise." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Unequivocal love shines through this relatable picture book." —Booklist, starred review

★ "An outstanding reminder that we are all emotional beings, and that for all their smaller bodies, children’s feelings are as big and intense as any adult’s." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A funny, wrenching affirmation of a parent’s unconditional love." —Kirkus Reviews

"Fogliano’s stream-of-consciousness, one-continuous-sentence text details a parent’s frustration with a recalcitrant child—but also their mutual unconditional love....Throughout, both text and art portray the situation with authenticity and understanding—and welcome flashes of humor." —The Horn Book