Lovely story that is focused on how important it is that children will be good and act kindly.
There are lovely illustrations and descriptions of how the goodness becomes magic and how it will get back as a gift for the child.

I was given a copy of this e-b00k in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautifully illustrated story with an adorable cast of characters. There are certain places where I feel like more details could have been added and others where they could have been a bit less. One example is at the beginning, there is A LOT of description of the place the fairies live and what the the other fairies did. It felt like anticlimactic when suddenly Drumlo's was on his first journey. The descriptions of the journey he took and the shoes he delivered were beautiful. Then yet again you were stopped with a dead ending of the story. A book that had so much promise ended a bit flat for me.

This is a delightful fairy story with beautiful illustrations, an engaging story and a moral message to share. If children have ‘good’ thoughts, are kind, truthful, loving, happy and helpful, their thought threads go to Weaveton where the fairies weave them into a reward for each individual child. These rewards are then delivered by the pixies and in this story Pixie Drumlo is to make his first ever delivery of a pair of festival shoes to a young girl. The story of Weaveton, what happens there, the challenges Drumlo faces and the results are told in this charming story that will appeal to anyone who enjoys fairy stories. Other fairy worlds are also mentioned and I wonder if there will be more stories based on them in future.

The message that what you think and do can be positively rewarded is clearly portrayed and the moral message reinforced. The need to persevere when the going gets tough and applying what you’ve been taught is also key to this inspirational story. It is a lovely way in which to encourage positive behaviour and attitudes. There are also question suggestions after the story, prompts for adults to use to encourage children to discuss the events, scenarios and message of the story.

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Kids who like fairies will likely enjoy this one. I'm thinking maybe 2nd to 5th graders. May do well in Christian collection. I know that sounds odd with the fairies and all, but there is a high power mentioned....

For those who love fairies and cute stories to share with their kids, this is that perfect book. Teaching valuable lessons on never giving up, working hard to achieve the outcome, and feeling the pride of a job well done, Festival Shoes shows children that accomplishing what they truly desire begins and ends with belief in yourself and the things your elders have taught you. A host of adorable characters will appeal to littles ones as well.

I really enjoyed The Festival Shoes.

As far as children’s fiction goes the book works really well and ticks all the boxes.

I liked the illustrations scattered throughout the novel, they are bright, vivid and add depth to the story.

As for the story itself, it’s a typical fairytale and I found it fun and engaging.

I’d recommend this book for children of all ages, it’s the perfect story to read at bedtime. Lovely.

The Festival Shoes by Tolulope Okudolo is a fairy story (literally) for young children. Although referred to as “pixies,” the illustrations provided by Eric Scott Fisher look like typical western imagery associated with the magical, winged creatures. The main character, Drumlo, is an ebullient pixie who is about to embark on his first trip to Earth in order to deliver a very important gift. With so much relying on his success, it would be absolutely awful if something went wrong.

Weaverton, the name of the land of fairies, is an invisible world that lies above the Earth. Whenever a child has a good thought or does something virtuous, a colourful string, unseen by the human eye, snakes its way up to the hidden land. Collected by pixies, these threads are woven into magnificent presents, which are delivered to the children as rewards on the day of the Great Festival. In order to prove himself as capable, Drumlo has been charged with safely transporting a pair of shoes to a truly deserving girl. With an effulgent thread as a guide, Drumlo sets off on his exciting mission.

The author is the founder of the publishing company Magnifying Children’s Horizons, which aspires to inspire children physically, mentally and spiritually about the natural world. Tolulope Okudolo’s author biography implies she is a Christian and likes to bring this aspect of her life into her writing. Although, as far as we know, fairies and pixies only exist in folklore, Tolulope retains the idea of the existence of God by referring to an unseen High King who lives above Weaverton. In this respect, the Great Festival and gift giving become similar to our Christmas tradition.

The Festival Shoes, however, is not intended to be a Christian book. Its purpose is to enhance children’s creativity and character by showing them the impact of their good and bad behaviour by emphasising the idea of receiving rewards. Whilst Drumlo is on his journey to Earth, he passes through the land where all bad thoughts and actions go. Compared with everywhere else, this place looks dull and gloomy, which goes to show what happens when nature is neglected and not cared for.

Another important message The Festival Shoes shows children is to have faith in themselves to do something for the first time. Drumlo had never been given such responsibility before, but he believed he could do it. Even though something goes wrong, his faith sees him through. He does not give up, everything works out in the end.

Reading the book as an adult, The Festival Shoes is not all that interesting. The ending comes about too quickly and, although the author is trying to emphasise that Drumlo’s faith saves the day, he does not physically do anything to fix what goes wrong – slightly misleading, perhaps?

The coloured illustrations that appear on every other page are pretty but do not help to tell the story. It is not a picture book for very young children; it is the next stage up. With discussion questions at the end of the book, The Festival Shoes is for parents and children to read together and think about their own impact on the world and nature.

Unfortunately, the book does not look professionally produced. The choice of typeface is uninspiring and the illustrations do not always slot into place well, leaving awkward layouts. As an eBook, this does not matter too much, but if it were to be printed, sales are unlikely to rocket.

Inspiring, creative, a breath of fresh air. This is a piece of children’s lit whose vintage innocence blazes a trail forward to what children’s literature should be. Both text and art are full of entertaining, gentle good messages that joyfully accelerate wonder and imagination in your child—as he or she learns about problem solving, good deeds and the effects of our words, thoughts and actions on others. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.

This is a timeless story that will enthrall and capture the imagination of young readers as fantasy touches are woven in a magically beautiful style. The writing is so vivid you feel like you are actually right there with the pixies as the author’s use of vivid colors embedded on nearly every page make the story explode off the pages. The few illustrations sprinkled throughout only serve to further enhance the splendor of this story. The author manages to educate, not just entertain, as they impart problem solving skills, consequences of actions and the positive benefits of hard work throughout the story. I loved the Discussion Questions at the end because it only serves to make this book that much more perfect for caregivers and educators to share with children.

THE FESTIVAL SHOES by Tolulope Okudolo, was very well written with wonderful colorful illustrations and very entertaining. A happy story, but also filled with a small amount of sadness, especially for Drumlo, because it was his first job, and of course he wanted to make a good impression. But, will his quest to deliver the gift cause him to get sidetracked by everything around him and maybe cause him to loose all train of thought and fall into trouble, or will he be able to work out his problem and come up with a happy ending? Great read!

I enjoy nature books and this one is not only beautifully written... it is magical. How the author involves all the senses when using corresponding colors and mood to portray earths actions, is brilliant. The whispiness of the illustrations plays into the story without overpowering the message which helps children learn to believe in themselves, and realize that they can turn challenges into positive actions. I love everything about this book including the thought provoking discussion sheet enclosed

This brilliant tale both intrigues and impresses as youngsters are taught lessons about hard work, problem solving, natural consequences, etc, through epic elements of fantasy.