Little Shoes

From the bestselling and Governor General''s Award–winning author of Deep in the night, when James should be sleeping, he tosses and turns. He thinks about big questions, like why we don''t feel dizzy when the Earth spins. He looks at the stars outside his bedroom and thinks about the Night Sky Stories his kōkom has told him. He imagines being a moshom himself. On nights like these, he follows the moonlit path to his mother''s bedroom. They talk and they cuddle, and they fall asleep just like that.;; ; One day, James''s kōkom takes him on a special walk with a big group of people. It''s called a march, and it ends in front of a big pile of things: teddy bears, flowers, tobacco ties and little shoes. Kōkom tells him that this is a memorial in honor of Indigenous children who had gone to residential schools and boarding schools but didn''t come home. He learns that his kōkom was taken away to one of these schools with her sister, who also didn''t come home. That night, James can''t sleep so he follows the moonlit path to his mother. She explains to James that at residential school when Kōkom felt alone, she had her sister to cuddle, just like they do. And James falls asleep gathered in his mother''s arms.

About the author

David A. Robertson; illustrated by Maya McKibbin

Product details

• Authors: Maya McKibbin, David A Robertson, David A. Robertson
• Assisted by: Maya McKibbin (Illustration)
• Publisher: Tundra Books
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 3 to 7
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 29.07.2025
• EAN: 9781774881729
• ISBN: 978-1-77488-172-9
• No. of pages: 48
• Dimensions: 214 mm x 313 mm x 13 mm
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; Canada, JUVENILE FICTION / Bedtime & Dreams, Picture storybooks, People & places (Children's / Teenage), General fiction (Children's / Teenage), Relating to indigenous peoples, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Places and peoples, JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Death, Grief, Bereavement, Picture storybooks: bedtime stories, sleep and dreams, JUVENILE FICTION / Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island