Jimmy's Shoes

June 1, 2023
An immigrant cobbler's neatly stitched poverty-to-prominence rise. Young fans of fashion footwear will likely be more dazzled by the arrays of haute couture pumps strewn through the later pages of Desierto's illustrations than by Tanumihardja's wooden account of how Jimmy Choo, a shoemaker's son of Chinese descent from the Malaysian island of Penang, moved to London, leveraged a "strong work ethic" to learn and refine his shoe design and manufacturing skills, and slowly built a distinctive brand. Her description of his career-altering breakthrough meeting with Diana, Princess of Wales, is typically low-key: "He worried what to wear, what to say, and what to do. His mother gave him this advice: Be as presentable as possible." Thanks, Mom. Again, it's the illustrations coming to the rescue--portraying Choo enthusiastically posing with racially diverse groups of fellow students, customers, and fashion models on the way to that climactic royal fitting (the first of many to come) and, finally, proudly, with two typically extravagant examples of his wares. An afterword goes over his career (again) in somewhat more specific but still sketchy detail. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A superficial tribute, memorable chiefly for those remarkable shoes. (source list) (Picture-book biography. 6-8)

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June 1, 2023
Grades K-3 The son of a Malaysian shoemaker, Jimmy Choo was fascinated by his father's work and became his apprentice. Later, he moved to London, struggled to learn English, and studied shoemaking at a technical college. His shoes did not sell well initially, but by building relationships with the influential fashion designers and magazine editors, he made a name for himself as a creator of stylish, unique, reasonably priced footwear. As his reputation grew, he made bespoke shoes for celebrities. He worked hard, but made little money until Diana, Princess of Wales, became his client. Demand for his shoes skyrocketed. Besides making shoes complementing Princess Di's outfits, he created his first ready-to-wear shoes. Now world famous, he mentors young designers. The informative text makes it clear that though Choo is talented as a designer and skilled as a craftsman, he also has worked hard during difficult times in order to succeed. Desierto, who has experience in television animation, contributes a series of vividly colored, dynamic illustrations that will help children engage with Choo's story. An attractive picture-book biography.

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