New Shoes!

By Anne Alexander

Good news!

Good news!

I’m getting

New shoes!

My friendly old shoes

Took me all sorts of places—

To the park, to the zoo—

And they helped me win races.

What kind of new shoes will I choose,

Will I choose?

Low shoes?

High shoes?

Buckle shoes?

Tie shoes?

Shoes made for running?

For marching?

For walking?

Shoes to stand still in

While grown-ups are talking?

My jolly old shoes

Did everything right.

Now the soles are worn through,

And the toes are too tight.

Will my new shoes take polish

To help them look clean?

Will they be tossed into

The washing machine?

I’ve hopped, skipped, and jumped.

I’ve climbed lots of trees.

In my comfy old shoes

I could do as I pleased.

I want to play kickball;

I want to pump swings.

Will my new pair of shoes

Help me do the old things?

The man at the shoe store

Said, “Please take a seat.”

He tickled my toes

When he measured my feet.

He showed me some white shoes,

Some black ones, some brown ones,

Some red ones, some blue ones,

Some walk-around-town ones.

“In your size,” said the shoe man,

“That’s all I could find.”

“Hurry,” said Mother,

“Please make up your mind.”

“I’ve already decided,”

I said with a smile.

I reached over and picked up

My choice from the pile.

“Those are just like your old ones.”

Mom was puzzled, I knew,

But she let me have them

And was pleased with them too.

I laughed as I hugged

Both pairs to my chest.

New shoes like my old ones—

Of course they were best!

Illustrated by Dick Brown