A Pair of Red Clogs

by Masako Matsuno

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1948959828
• ISBN13: 9781948959827
• Release Date: September 2022
• Publisher: Purple House Press
• Length: 36 Pages
• Weight: 0.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 3 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Great book for all ages

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

A treasure of a book!

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;)

A childhood favorite!

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.

buy this book for a child you love

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.

A Pair of Red Clogs to be republished!

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.