Four Feet, Two Sandals

Four Feet, Two Sandals
By Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed
Illustrated by Doug Chayka
Eerdmans, 2007

In the middle of the War on Terror, there are stories that need to be told. But not about war. But about hope in the middle of the fear. Four Feet, Two Sandals is such a story. It is set in a refugee camp, in Peshawar, a city on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. It is a fictitious story, but one that represents the friendship and hope in refugee camps worldwide.

In the refugee camp, clothing is being distributed to the masses. Little was left by the time Lina arrived. She managed to get one sandal, but she couldn’t find the match. But she wore the one she had. Soon she meets Feroza, the wearer of the other sandal. They become fast friends. Feroza offers the matching sandal to Lina. Instead of each wearing one sandal, they decide to share them, each wearing the set every other day. The sandals bring these two girls together and they stay friends.

Lina soon finds out her family will be relocating to America to start a new life. They have been given a fresh start. Much like a friendship necklace, split apart in the middle, where each friend wears one half, the girls each take a sandal, hoping to meet again.

The paintings in this book are not full of detail, but almost hazy—like the desert sun. But they depict the landscape well. An author’s note at the back gives more detail about the refugee camp.

Karen Lynn Williams co-authored this book. She is also the author of another favorite of mine, When Africa Was Home.

This book has been nominated for in the fiction picture book category for the Cybils.

Teachers Guide available