Eleanor is on the school bus home when she realises she has left her shoes behind. At least she thinks she has. She can’t think where exactly they might be?

But Mum isn’t worried.

“You left your shoes at school. Bring them home tomorrow.”

The next day, Eleanor wears her gumboots to school, but there are no gumboots allowed in the classroom, and they are far too loose to climb on the jungle gym.

The same sinking feeling hits Eleanor again on the way home in the school bus. She has bare feet. Not only has she forgotten to bring home her shoes, but now she’s left her gumboots behind too!

Mum has a solution, but not a perfect one. Once again, Eleanor looks down at her bare feet on the way home.

Mum is getting a little cross, and Eleanor ends up going through all her footwear, growing her pile of shoes in the school cloakroom.

When the end of the week comes round, and Eleanor is barefoot on the way to school too, she finally remembers what she is supposed to do. Bring her shoes home.

But hang, on. Something else is missing!

I laughed out loud at the end of this story. We can all relate to leaving something behind at school, from our own memories or with the antics of our own children.

Author Eleanor Nell has included a photo of her five-year-old self on the inside cover of Shoe Trouble with the admission that this story is based around her own forgotten shoes.

Lisa Allen’s soft pastel palette catches the innocence of young children on the bus, at home and on the school playground, and of course, busy little brains forgetting to bring shoes home from school.

This picture book would make a great going-to-school, or first-day-of-school gift, as well as entertain children aged 4+

Author – Eleanor Neil

Illustrator – Lisa Allen

Age – 4+

(2023, Upstart Press, NZ, New Zealand, Aotearoa, School Bus, Remembering, Shoes, Footwear, Life Lessons, Going to School, Humour)