by Blair Hahn
Emerald Book Company, $15.95, 32 pages
Blair Hahn, a fun loving husband and father, was invited by his teenage daughter to get a pedicure together. Hahn accepted her invitation and enjoyed the experience. When it came time to pick a shade of nail polish, Hahn chose purple! This experience inspired him to write My Purple Toes, a children’s book that reinforces the importance of accepting others and their differences. Marketed for the 4-8 year old age range, the book’s simple words convey a big message. How will Mom, the kids, and even the dog react to Dad’s purple toes? Will they be surprised, embarrassed, or happy? View Dad’s toes in various settings and seasons and find a hidden frog with purple toes on each page. Illustrator Tate Nation creatively highlights the whimsical toes and their owner and his family. Parents can use this opportunity to encourage their kids not to take themselves so seriously. Follow up reading the book with a silly activity the whole family can do together. If you like My Purple Toes, check out Hahn’s newest book, My Purple Kisses. A portion of the book’s proceeds go to the non-profit Soles4Souls which provides shoes to those in need.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin