Kicks in the Sky

July 1, 2023

K-Gr 2-In this latest picture book by Esperanza, readers are dropped into colorful and dreamlike city scenery, this time to examine a rainbow's array of sneakers dangling by their shoelaces above a lively street. The book explores what happens when those shoes fall to the ground, only to be collected by the local children, who can suddenly dance, skate, and play basketball like seasoned professionals. While neighborhood onlookers take turns guessing as to where the shoes came from, the children play into the night, exploring the streets as much as their own limitless potential. Esperanza's dynamic pastel illustrations are the biggest draw, imbuing the story with mind-bending joy. This title will make for an engaging story time, although not the smoothest read, as the rhymes can be inconsistent and the meter tends to shift from verse to verse. VERDICT A vibrant and magical take on a common urban sight, creating a modern mythology out of the seemingly mundane. A great choice for most shelves. -Alexandra Quay

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2023
Ever wonder how pairs of shoes hanging on power lines got there? This zany, poetic urban tale offers many answers, although "only birds knew" for sure. Neighbors have many theories: The shoes belonged to the deceased whose loved ones hung them there; aliens threw them onto the wires; the shoes indicate the meeting places of goblins and goons. A crew of motorcyclists disturb the pigeons, which flutter around and knock several sneakers onto the street. Danny dons a pair, and though he doesn't know how to dance, somehow he shuffles all over town; Kris' power-line kicks give her superhuman running, jumping, and dunking skills; and when Lili finds a pair too big for her feet, she wears one shoe like a helmet and can suddenly perform a host of fancy skateboard tricks. A boy known as pigeon-coop kid sprinkles breadcrumbs from his roof, prompting the birds to knock more shoes down, which gives many more neighborhood children the chance to try out these unusual sneakers. Neon pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples attract the kids to the shoes and draw readers into this fast-paced, entertaining story. The wildly energetic, psychedelic-hued illustrations bring these city scenes to life, and innovative perspectives and angles keep readers guessing what amazing abilities the shoes will bestow next. Most characters are Black or brown. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A strikingly original pourquoi tale in which tennis shoes make life much more interesting. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from October 9, 2023
A “cluster of kicks” draped over telephone wires mysteriously offer up talents across interests in Esperanza’s bustling metropolitan escapade. After kids on the ground marvel at the bright-hued sneaks (“Red kicks, green kicks, yellow kicks, blue./ How’d they get up there? Only birds knew”), a motorbike parade rumbles the shoes earthward, where the children untangle knotted laces before slipping the kicks on. Though young Danny doesn’t know how to dance, the shoes send his feet moving “to beats, in a magical trance.” Kris soars through the air during a game of basketball, meanwhile, and Lili expertly skateboards, knowing “every trick.” Alongside electric-hued illustrations of the children’s largely brown-skinned community, neighborhood sounds (“VROOM VROOM... FLAP FLIP!”) and thumping text offer musical accompaniment. Neighborhood speculation doesn’t solve questions about the shoes’ provenance, leaving a lingering sense of enchantment behind at the end of this unique adventure told in tuneful, rhythmic rhyme. Ages 4–8.