A Pair of Red Clogs

By Masako Matsuno

A girl's cracked clogs lead her to a moral dilemma and a grandmother's wise tale.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 779 ratings

36 pages

$14.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Mako, a young Japanese girl, cherishes her shiny red clogs until a game leaves them cracked. Desperate for a new pair, she faces a moral choice that tests her honesty. Her grandmother, recalling her own childhood temptations, shares a story that offers warmth and wisdom. Will Mako choose the right path, or will her longing for new clogs lead her astray? Discover the touching tale of temptation, understanding, and the universal joy of new shoes.

From the publisher

A child’s delight in a new pair of shoes is the same all over the world, whether the shoes are patent-leather sandals, straw alpargatas, deerskin moccasins, or wooden clogs.For Mako, a little Japanese girl, the new shoes were clogs painted with red lacquer that shone beautifully. This is the story of what happened after she cracked the new clogs playing the weather-telling game and so longed for a bright, shiny new pair to replace them that she almost did a dishonest thing.The warmth and quiet understanding of the grandmother who, remembering her own temptations as a little girl, recalls this story for her granddaughter, makes A Pair of Red Clogs especially moving. Kazue Mizumura’s charming illustrations are as delicate and graceful as the story itself.

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