The Little Girl with the Magic Shoes

Children fly, dragons sneeze, and chipmunks watch the moon in this collection of whimsical writings. Fisher writes for all ages in this assemblage of stories, poems and essays. In the first section, a little girl inherits a pair of magic shoes that enables her to fly and take on numerous adventures, like making friends with a potential witch and stopping a dragon from sneezing all over Santa's workshop.

Fisher's introduction explains that he adapted this story from one he shared with his daughter at bedtimes; unlike many homespun bedtime tales, this one has delightful descriptions and a coherent plot that both children and adults can enjoy. The next section highlights a series of murals the author originally painted for the city of Mount Pleasant, Mich. The pictures are enhanced by written descriptions and questions that challenge viewers to think beyond the visuals.

Next, an essay about chipmunks, complete with "The Chipmunks' Rules of Acquisition," shows more than a glimmer of humor. Finally, Fisher slips into an allegorical mood with his last three pieces, which are attempts to teach patience, faith and artistic interpretation.

Overall, the simple mixed-media illustrations are entertaining and complement the text. A capable writer, Fisher's stories are easy to comprehend yet layered with enough complexity that adults won't grow weary after reading them repeatedly. However, the different genres tend to clash instead of melding into a comprehensive whole; the book would have been better served by being split into several different volumes. Still, this doesn't detract from the solid, accessible prose.

A thought-provoking group of surreal stories both children and adults will appreciate.
-- Kirkus Discoveries