From award-winning authors Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler comes an uplifting tale of self-discovery that is brought about thanks to a pair of deadly boots.
The day has finally arrived. The boots that a young aboriginal boy has saved up all his coins for have finally been delivered. Colourful and shiny, with spikes on the bottom, these are the boots that dreams are made of and are the boots that can help fulfil dreams of the future. They are boots that can make a boy feel on top of the world, unbeatable, unstoppable, unbreakable. But is it really the boots on the feet that are giving the boy confidence and self-assurance, or is it coming from somewhere else…
My Deadly Boots is a hopeful and empowering story about understanding where inner-confidence and self-belief truly comes from. Set in an Australian outback community, the story centres around a young indigenous protagonist who believes that the ‘deadly boots’ that he has saved so hard for make him a new person, a person who walks taller, jumps higher, runs faster, kicks betters. But are the deadly boots the source of all his positivity?
Through a series of joyous rhymes, the boy revels in all of the things that his new boots allow him to do and to be. He remains unfazed when family, friends, teachers and a local police officer question and challenge him about his fancy footwear. Some of these interactions importantly touch upon racism and discrimination that members of Indigenous communities may be subjected to; the classmate who wants to trade his old, tatty boots, the teacher who requests that school shoes are worn, the policeman questioning where the boy got the boots from is particularly strong and poignant. A brief moment of worry sees the prized-possession briefly go missing and this provides the opportunity for the wise, old grandfather to deliver the important message within the story. The boots don’t define who the boy is, all of the things that the boots have enabled him to do were already within him. ‘Boots or no boots, he tells me too deadly was always actually me.'
Children often think that having certain possessions will make them become better and this story is a powerful reminder that they already have so many wonderful and strong qualities inside them and they do not need material possessions to become confident, self-assured and successful individuals.
Samantha Campbell’s illustrations are rich and warm, inviting readers to take a peek into a life and world that will be unfamiliar to many. She whisks us away to the dusty and sandy plains of the outback where the boy and his community live and beautifully exposes the reader to Indigenous life and that of an aboriginal boy. This valuable and accessible look at identity, discrimination, embracing who you are and how we can all become deadly - with or without magic boots - offers up plenty of food for thought. With huge thanks to Hachette and Lothian for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review. Recommended for 3+.
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