Wearing his flashy new shoes, Marcus is a whirlwind of motion. Nothing stops him, and he wants everyone he meets to see and admire them. Just as he about to head out the door to let even more people see and appreciate those shoes, his grandfather calls. He has story to tell. Marcus settles in to listen.
"Under an endless sky, in a small village surrounded by
high mountains, there once lived a boy named Ariba.
During the day, he herded sheep, and as the long evenings
darkened into night, he gazed up at the stars."
The Ariba in his grandfather's story receives his new shoes for his twelfth birthday ... brand new ones! They are big and meant to last. Ariba loves everything about those shoes, saving them for Sunday and other special events. The shoes are particularly fond of adventure. Their times spent together are never boring. But, as more and more of his friends leave their village to live in the city, Ariba begins to wonder what life might be like there. He and his shoes hit the road.
His new life is much different than his old one. In the city, he rarely looks up at the sky. His old shoes do not suit his new lifestyle; he buys a new pair. Wanting to get rid of the old shoes, he does his best to discard them. They keep coming back to him, always helped by those who know they belong to Ariba.
After trying many times to get rid of them, Ariba comes to an awareness of their importance in his life.
"You know what, I am truly happy to see you.
Let's never leave each other again."
It is a wise decision.
This giggle-worthy book will be appreciated by all who listen to it. Warm and entertaining, this story within a story makes for a fine read aloud.
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