The Bootmaker and the Elves
Book Review:
This book is a delightful southwestern retelling of the original fairy
tale, "The Shoemaker and the Elves." In this version, no one wants to
buy the bootmaker's ugly, uncomfortable boots. Down to the very last
piece of leather, the bootmaker cuts out the pattern and leaves it on
the workbench before going to bed. The next morning he and his wife
awaken to find a beautiful pair of boots on the workbench. A customer
buys them immediately, giving the bootmaker enough money to buy leather
for more boots. Again he cuts out the leather and leaves it on the workbench
and the next morning there are two beautiful pairs of boots. The cycle
continues until finally, the bootmaker and his wife discover the source
of this magic. To thank the two elves who have been helping them, they
decide to make them new cowboy outfits complete with itty-bitty boots.
From this time on, the bootmaker, who has been studying the boots made
by the elves, is able to make wonderful boots of his own. This imaginative
story, accompanied by Tom Curry's detailed illustrations, provides a
wonderful example of adapting well-known children's literature to the
Southwest.
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