The Story of Jimmy Choo,
Shoemaker to a Princess
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Abrams Books for Young Readers
(pub.8.8.2023) 40 pages
Author: Patricia Tanumihardja
Illustrator: Derek Desierto
Character: Jimmy Choo
Overview:
" On the island of Penang, Jimmy Choo is born into a family of shoemakers. At his father’s side, he learns to make all kinds of shoes—loafers, stilettos, slippers, and more.
After learning all he can at home, Jimmy immigrates to London, where he can study shoemaking by day and English by night. Nothing comes easy for newcomer Jimmy, but he works hard until he can launch his own business. At his Lucky Shoes, Jimmy specializes in shoes made just for the customer. Before long, he starts to make waves in the London fashion scene. One day, he gets a call from a very special customer—Diana, Princess of Wales, wants him to design shoes just for her. And the rest is history!"
Tantalizing taste:
"He envisioned uniquely designed shoes that fit like Cinderella's glass slippers.
Jimmy rented a tiny space in a dilapidated redbrick building where he worked hard from dawn till dusk, cutting, stitching, beading. His designs were inspired by the vibrant flowers, brilliant birds, and graceful architecture of his homeland."
And something more: Patricia Tanumihardja in the Author's Note explains that "Today, Jimmy continues to make shoes for select clients. He also travels the world speaking at universities and charity events and mentors young Asian designers. Jimmy is a global ambassador of the Alumni Awards for the British Council and an ambassador for the Diana Award, a charity that supports social programs to help young people."
Updated: Nov 23, 2023
Woo hoo!!! So excited that our ABLAZE WITH COLOR - A Story of Painter Alma Thomas won the 42nd annual Northern California Book Award in the Children's Literature - Younger Readers category, illustrated by the amazing Loveis Wise (Harper Collins), edited by Megan Ilnitzki.
On Saturday, September 30, 2023, 2:00 pm Pacific Time, at the Main San Francisco Public Library, the 42nd annual Northern California Book Awards, announced the winners -- the best published works of 2022 by Northern California authors and California literary translators. Reviewers and editors—members of Northern California Book Reviewers—selected the awards.
The NCBAs are presented by Northern California Book Reviewers, Poetry Flash, and the San Francisco Public Library, with our community partners The Booksmith, Mechanics' Institute Library and Women's National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter.
For a list of all the details of the events and nominees: PoetryFlash
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Greenwillow Books
(HarperCollins)
(pub.5.16.2023) 32 pages
Author and illustrator:
Chris Raschka
Character: Mary Lou Williams
Overview:
" At the age of three, Mary Lou Williams taught herself how to play the piano. At the age of fifteen, she was considered a professional. An American jazz pianist and composer, Mary Lou Williams wrote hundreds of compositions, recorded hundreds of songs, and wrote arrangements for musicians, including Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman.
With a text full of rhythm and movement and illustrations that sing off the page, Chris Raschka’s picture book is equal parts biography and celebration of the imagination, ideas, and creative process."
Tantalizing taste:
"It was Mary's idea to play
the piano at three.
It was Mary's idea
to play the piano for me.
It was Mary's idea to make
the songs, to lead the band,
to shape the sounds ...
and Mary's ideas are grand."
And something more: The last page of the book includes a quote by Mary Lou Williams: "Your attentive participation, thru listening with your ears and your heart, will allow you to enjoy fully this exchange of ideas, to sense these various moods, and to reap the full therapeutic rewards that good music always brings to a tired, disturbed soul and all 'who dig the sounds.'"
