The children’s book Whose Shoes?, written and photographed by Stephen R. Swinburne, is the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child 2011 selection. The photograph concept book for children ages 3 to 6 is subtitled A Shoe for Every Job.

In the book a ballerina wears different shoes than a farmer. A soccer player, an Army National guard soldier, and a post office worker are featured. A chef wears sturdy, black clogs while a clown wears enormous, pink lace-up shoes. By the end of a read-aloud session of this book, your child will want to repeat the refrain Whose Shoes? with you as you read.

The guessing game in Whose Shoes? encourages young children to think about the kind of work they might want to do in the future. The author tells us in the beginning of this video that he has worked many jobs in his life, but the work he has enjoyed the most is being a children’s book author. For that job he tells us (in the book’s foreword) he may wear slippers, or socks, or even go barefoot when he swings his feet under a desk to write.

Shoes reveal a lot about people. After reading the book to your child, you might discuss what shoes are your child’s favorite and why. You might describe your favorite shoes and whether they reflect your job, your personality or your hobby.

Whose Shoes? can be used to develop both literacy and math skills according to the guide developed by the Pennsylvania One Book Every Young Child reading initiative. For example, children might be asked to count things by twos and ones after recognizing that shoes come in pairs. Or you might ask a child to find the word shoes wherever it occurs in the book and to come up with words that rhyme with shoes.

The topic of shoes is rich with potential for activities with your child. Consider walking around the neighborhood with a child to observe who wears what type of shoes, taking pictures, and making his or her own photo essay. Find many other activities, games, and reading tips associated with shoes in the companion guides available for download at Parents' Guide

To learn about a special friendship between a goose and a polar bear, check out author and illustrator Suzanne Bloom reading her fictional book, A Splendid Friend, Indeed, the 2007 selection of the Pennsylvania’s One Book, Every Young Child award in this video A Splendid Friend, Indeed.

To enjoy this picture book of rhymes, where vegetables from okra to carrots to pumpkins grow in all directions, check out this video of author Katherine Ayres reading her book Up, Down and Around (illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott), Pennsylvania’s One Book, Every Young Child 2008 selection in this video Up Down and Around.

To enjoy a colorful picture book in which Mole digs and digs, and discovers treasures for his animal friends and himself in his backyard, listen to Will Hillendbrand read What A Treasure, the book he illustrated and Jane Hillenbrand wrote, and Pennsylvania's One Book, Every Young Child 2010 selection in this video What a Treasure.

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