Boots (Elizabeth Pulsford, illus Krista Brennan, Wombat Books)

The idea of walking in someone else’s shoes to evoke understanding and empathy is not a new concept, but Elizabeth Pulsford takes it further in her debut picture book, Boots, by casting a pair of working boots as the central character. Told from the boots’ perspective, we see life unfold for a Queensland cattle farmer as he experiences love, loss, joy, and hardship over the years. Set against the backdrop of a rural Australian town, the book follows the boots and their owner in a story that captures the importance of family and small-town community spirit. Krista Brennan’s (Amira’s Magpie, Lillipit the Kangaroo) illustrations complement the text and capture the mood as they depict the harshness of a sometimes unforgiving landscape, with bushfires, floods and drought covered throughout the story. The illustrations also capture family bonds and life’s milestones from birth to death. Moving and relatable, the tale Pulsford and Brennan have created is a rich one that celebrates life and one unique part of the Australian identity. The story is best suited to a primary school–aged readership, and it highlights that even the most ordinary lives are extraordinary, as life is really about the people we become and the connections we make along the way.

Books+Publishing reviewer: M H Alessandrino is a Perth-based freelance writer and reviewer. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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