Old Shoes, New Shoes
by ReadRead · 90 secNew red shoes? Too big! New blue shoes? Too small! New pink shoes? Just right! A very first book for very new readers: one short sentence on every page, and a picture that shows the word every time.
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Nana has old shoes. They are brown and scuffed, and now they pinch. Ouch, too small! So Nana, Mum and Puppy go to a little shoe shop. New yellow socks: wiggle, wiggle! New red shoes? Too big, they flop right off. New blue shoes? Too small, they pop right off. New pink shoes? Just right! Back in the garden the old shoes get a new job as flower pots, and at sunset Nana dances in her new shoes.




The new words in this book
Used for a long time, worn and scuffed. It comes up 6 times, and every time something old on the page (Nana’s brown shoes, a patched boot, a holey sneaker) puffs a little cloud of dust, sags and creaks.
Just bought, shiny and never used. It comes up 10 times, and every time something new (yellow socks, red, blue and pink shoes, flowers) sparkles pink and gold with a bright “ting”.
Made for children just starting kindergarten. Each page has one short sentence (3 to 6 words) in one pattern: “New red shoes? Too big!” / “New blue shoes? Too small!” / “New pink shoes? Just right!” Only one word changes, so a child can say the page with you by the third try. Every other word is one a 4-year-old already knows, like shoes, socks, red, big, small and dance.
Questions to ask while you read
Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.
- 1Look at Nana’s shoes. Are they old or new? How do you know?
- 2Ouch! Why do Nana’s feet hurt?
- 3Where are Nana and Mum now? What can you see on the shelf?
- 4What color are the new socks? Can you wiggle your toes?
- 5Is the red shoe too big or too small?
- 6Is the blue shoe too big or too small?
- 7Which shoes are just right? What color are they?
- 8What grows in the old shoes?
- 9Tap a shoe. Is it old or new?
- 10Can you dance like Nana?
How hard is this book?
About 50 words, one short sentence at a time, one pattern that repeats.
- Questions × 4Tap! Old or new?
All 23 words, most used first
new 10 · shoes 8 · old 6 · too 3 · dance 2 · small 2 · wiggle 2 · are · big · blue · flowers · has · hello · hooray · in · just · or · ouch · pink · red · right · socks · tap
Names don’t count: the picture shows who it is.
Tips for parents
- First time: use Read to me and just enjoy the pictures together. It takes about a minute and a half.
- Act the words: a tired, creaky voice on “old”, a bright, sparkly voice on “new”.
- Read it again and pause before “big”, “small” and “right”, so your child can guess what happens.
- Afterwards, look at your own shoes together: which pair is old, which is new? Are any too small?