Put Your Shoes On & Get Ready!

Senator urges kids to create own path in inspiring memoir.
Parents say
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Put Your Shoes On & Get Ready! is a picture book by Senator Raphael G. Warnock about his life story. The book highlights the evolution of Raphael's life as he moves from one role to the next, ultimately becoming the first Black senator from Georgia. He tells the story through the shoes he needed for each step on his path, noting that everyone needs shoes that fit their feet and prepare them for the role or job they need to take on each day, and that it's important to be prepared for what you're about to do. Themes include activism, care for the community, and living to your fullest potential.
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Book purchased as a gift knowing it is targeted to older children.
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What's the Story?
PUT YOUR SHOES ON & GET READY! follows Raphael G. Warnock from his childhood to becoming a U.S. senator. From a young age, his father taught him to "Get up! Get dressed! Get ready!" Raphael searched to find the job he was meant to do, and put on shoes that helped prepare him for different roles along the way. From sneakers and summer work boots to church shoes and marching band shoes, Raphael made his own path. After becoming a pastor, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his own father, he was able to lead a new march by helping his community and becoming an activist. These role lead him to running for the United States Senate, where he could help people in a new and important way. Raphael is now Georgia's first Black senator and can fight for change for all the people of his state.
Is It Any Good?
This inspiring picture book imparts an important message about finding your dreams and chasing them. Put Your Shoes On & Get Ready! introduces readers to Senator Warnock's life in a creative way -- through his shoes. The shoes he walked in throughout his life were key to leading him to where he is now. This approach gives new meaning and excitement to the routine of getting up and getting dressed for the day. You never know where life will lead you!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how in Put Your Shoes On & Get Ready! Raphael wears different pairs of shoes for the job he needs to do each day. In the book, which pair of shoes is your favorite, and why? What is Raphael doing while wearing them?
Which job do you want to do when you're older? Which shoes will you need to put on to get ready for that job?
When Raphael got older he attended Morehouse College. Do you know what makes this college special? Which other famous people went there?
Book Details
- Author: Raphael G. Warnock
- Illustrator: Temika Grooms
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Activism, Great Boy Role Models, History
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Empathy, Integrity, Self-control
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Philomel
- Publication date: January 10, 2023
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: February 9, 2023
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