Mr. Shaw's Shipshape Shoeshop

Even if you forget the specifics of the story of Mr. Shaw and his shoe store, one of my favorite books as a child in the 1970s, you will never forget its title. I don't remember what happened to my old, beat-up hardcover version. I think my parents sold it in a garage sale when I was 12. But it's one of those books I want to pass on to my daughters.

This book came to me in a bulk lot of old books. My copy has seen better days, but the story is enduring. Mr. Shaw is a wonderful character who values being his own boss. It is a triumph for small business and is also a great way to help explain to a child why their favorite store went out of business, which can be traumatic for any child. It is a fun read, aside from the "sh" factor, but just for kicks, when people visit and want to do something for my child, I give them this book to sit and read aloud! I wish this book would come up in a more general search. What a great find and a childhood treasure.

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I LOVED it. When my niece and nephew were down we read it again and again. They love it too - so now I'm getting it for them!!!

My son loves this book. I pulled it out of some of my old books and read it to him for the first time when he was about 3. We had to read it every night for at least a week. At first I struggled with all the esses but now I can read it smoothly. It has such a happy ending and Mr. Shaw is such a determined man.

As a child this was one of my favorite books. Later on, it became very important to me as a therapy aid for my speech therapy. The therapist also fell in love with the book and I offered her my copy. Now that I have a child of my own, the story is still as wonderful now as it was then!