My Shoes and I

On Monday, Febrary 1st my picture book MY SHOES AND I was released! Look for it on line or in your favorite bookstore.

When I was fourteen years old, my father and I crossed the Mexican/ USA border. I still remember those new shoes that my mother sent me from the United Stated. My shoes traveled with me all the way from El Salvador. At the end of the long and tiring journey my shoes had holes everywhere. In MY SHOES AND I, I am telling my story and the stories of thousands of children who need to cross borders in order to accomplish their dreams. Fabricio Vanden Broeck illustrated the book using the retablo's style. My Shoes and I was published by Boyds Mills.

Here is the text of the first scene:

For Christmas, Mamá sent me a new pair of shoes from the United States.

I love my new shoes. They walk everywhere I walk. They jump every time I jump. They run as fast as me. We always cross the finish line at the same time.

“Mario, these are very good shoes for the trip,” Papá says.

Papá tells me that it is a very long trip. We need to cross three countries. But no matter how long the trip will be, I will get there. My shoes will take me anywhere.

Rene Colato Lainez is the Salvadoran award-winning author of many children’s books. In 1985, René, his shoes, and his father left El Salvador to come to the United States. Now, René lives in Los Angeles, California, where he is a teacher.

Fabricio Vanden Broeck has illustrated a number of books for children. He teaches at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City, where he lives.