There once was a king who hated bath time so much that he never washed. He was a very smelly king!

The king is finally persuaded to bathe in the river but no matter how clean the rest of him is, his feet stay dirty.

The people sweep away all the dirt in the land - but the air is choked with dust. The dust gets washed away but now the land is flooded with water. An enormous tapestry is sewn to cover the whole kingdom but now nothing will grow on the land... What is to be done?

At last one old man steps forward with leather and a pair of scissors ... and to the king's amazement he creates - the first ever pair of shoes!

About the Author

Sally Pomme Clayton is a writer and pioneering storyteller. She has spearheaded the revival of storytelling in the UK. Recent commissions include work for Totally Thames; Omnibus Theatre; The London Philharmonic Orchestra; The British Museum; The Swedenborg Society. She appears in festivals and theatre across the world. Her many children's books include Greek Myths (with Jane Ray); Tales told in Tents and Rama and Sita (with Sophie Herxheimer) and most recently The Phoenix of Persia (with Amin Hassanzadeh Sharif). Sally lives in South London.

Rhiannon Sanderson was brought up in Anglesey, Wales. After graduating from Hereford College of Arts with a degree in illustratioin, she is now completing an MA at the University of Gloucestershire. Rhiannon's illustrations are created with a range of digital material. The King with Dirty Feet is Rhiannon's first published book. She lives in Gloucestershire.

Reviews

"This delightful picture book, beautifully told for reading aloud and engagingly illustrated, tells the comic and suspenseful story of the invention of shoes, for an Indian king who has trouble keeping his feet clean."

-- Nicolette Jones * Sunday Times *

"[A] witty adaptation of a traditional Bengali folk tale."

-- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller *

"From trainers and boots to sandals and stilettos, we spend most of our days in shoes. But have you ever thought about how they came to be made? I hadn't until I read this wonderful folk tale."

* Amayah's Diverse Books *

"It is simply a delight to find a tale that transports us to another country, in this case India. Sally Pomme Clayton brings us a delightful retelling of an old story, a folk-tale, a traditional tle with history and a story about the invention of shoes...Complete with vibrant illustrations bringing the words to life, there is much to love about this book."

* Armadillo *

"A delightful, funny retelling of an Indian folktale...the witty text is perfect for reading aloud to children. The colourful, detailed illustrations are vibrant and engaging and this is a great story to use to help introduce children to traditional tales."

* Teach Primary *

"Folk tales have a timelessness that offers both simplicity and profundity: Sally Pomme Clayton's lively version retains the essential inherent humour and directness making it great for reading aloud. Beautiful traditional style illustrations capture both those qualities making this a book that deserves a place in family and classroom collections."

* Red Reading Hub *

"Sally Pomme Clayton's retelling of this folktale from India and Bangladesh is absorbing and satisfying, and cheerful, richly textured artwork draws on traditional colours and patterns to set the scene."

* Cast of Thousands *

"Beautifully written and reads aloud very well. The illustrator captures the emotions of all the characters in bold, striking colours. A great book for dramatization and for oral story telling."

* Books for Keeps 5 star review *

"This beautifully illustrated picture book shows how practical solutions give us sel-control and how important it is to place boundaries around oneself rather than the world while resolving personal tensions...certainly deserves to be read as well as performed."

* IBBY *

"Beautifully related by a skilled storyteller with patterned language and repetition. An amusing and attractive picture book, which would be great to read aloud."

* Love my Books *

"...perfect to read aloud to young children and is accompanied by vibrant illustrations full of traditional colour and detail which transport us to another culture ...This book would be an excellent introduction to traditional tales in Key Stage 1."

* Books for Topics *


Awards
Winner of Oxfordshire Book Awards Best Picture Book 2019 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781913074982
Author Sally Pomme Clayton
Format Paperback
Page Count 32
Imprint Otter-Barry Books Ltd
Publisher Otter-Barry Books Ltd