The King with Dirty Feet

"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 Topi