The Rich Man and the Shoemaker

by Brian Wildsmith, Jean de La Fontaine, Bernadette Watts

Book Overview

The shoe-maker is a poor but happy man who sings all day long. His next-door neighbor, a rich man, is not so happy. He can't sleep because of all the singing. How can he stop the shoe-maker from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0735816751
• ISBN13: 9780735816756
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: NorthSouth (NY)
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.6" x 11.6"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Rich man and the shoe-maker

Although the reader does feel something has been lost in a retelling of the story, the message can still be seen clearly. A very simple tale, which can easily be read by first graders, has the moral of taking pride in yourself and being happy with who you are. When the poor shoe-maker is given a bag of gold, he loses his friends and his happiness. He realizes money and wealth did not make him content. The coverflaps have a lot of praise for the illustrator. He has an interesting style, but his artwork does not grab the attention of the reader and can be overly busy and erratic. It is a shame the artwork brings down this otherwise excellent fable that should be read to all children in our overly competitive capitalist society.Why 4 stars?:This is a nice fable, with a wonderful message about greed and capitalism. Unfortunately, its illustrations are attempting an abstract style that they just don't quite pull off.