BOOT & SHOE

Littermates Boot and Shoe do everything together and have a strict routine, which is captured by Johnny Heller's jaunty and clearly enunciated voice. Their regularly scheduled day, with Boot on the back porch and Shoe on the front porch, is turned topsy-turvy by the taunting of a neighborhood squirrel. Heller conveys the length and loneliness of their separation by elongating the vowels in "long, hungry evening" and "long, sleepless night." His tone is light and joyful but exhausted as Boot and Shoe are finally reunited. Music and sound effects would have added to the production. Still, children will certainly enjoy listening while reading along with the book. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]