When a boy named William Wilkins puts on his red cowboy boots, his imagination can take him anywhe

Young William leads an extraordinary life. With his magic cowboy boots and his faithful dog, Bob, he can travel anywhere he wants just by thinking about it. He can canoe down the Amazon, ride a bucking bronco in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and drive a herd of cattle up the Chisholm Trail, all this and more because of the mysterious magic in his soft, red cowboy boots. But as William's mind grows from his wonderful experiences, his feet also grow, until one day, his boots no longer fit. It's only by accident that William comes to realize that the magic is not in the boots after all--it's in him. Children will be attracted to the brief text, which is printed in large, dark type, but although the story is imaginative, there isn't much plot. It will be Post's superb, realistic illustrations of exotic places--not the tale itself--that will attract kids. (Reviewed December 15, 1994)

When a boy named William Wilkins puts on his red cowboy boots, his imagination can take him anywhere—to the Amazon River or the Wild West or the moon, flying on a magic carpet or camping out with a pack of jovial bears. When his feet outgrow the boots, William is understandably despondent. But after he falls asleep crying, he discovers he can still visit far-off places, since the magic is in his mind, not in his boots. This plot summary doesn't do justice to the genuine magic of newcomer Emerson's book. Post's bold, rich-toned illustrations capture the many moods and angles of William's imaginary wanderings, and the text, brief as it is, has the true ring of the way a kid talks and thinks. Imagination is a powerful concept for a young child, and this simple parable about it leaves all the awe and mystery marvelously intact. (Fiction/Picture book. All ages)"

PreS-Gr 2--William has a pair of magical red cowboy boots that transport him down the Amazon, to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and on a longhorn cattle drive up the Chisholm Trail. When he outgrows his boots, he is crushed. Then he falls asleep, dreams about the wonderful places that he has seen, and realizes that ``it wasn't the boots that were magic. It was him.'' Large full-color paintings convey the rich variety of the boy's journeys, with deep blue backgrounds and brightly tinted lines and shadings. However, while they're attractive, they are rather static. The travels are exotic, but do not seem particularly filled with joy. William himself is a bit overshadowed, and readers don't get much of a sense of his personality, either through the illustrations or text. The well-meaning conclusion, which implies that imagination is the real magic, may disappoint some readers drawn to the story by the fantastic element.--Steven Engelfried, West Lynn Library, OR