Secret Agent Man Goes Shopping for Shoes by Tim Wynne-Jones (review)

Any successful mission to save the world requires excellent footwear, so when K. (short for Kay, also known as our protagonist’s mother) suggests to S.A.M. (short for Secret Agent Man) that they go shopping for new shoes, S.A.M. happily obliges, wondering if he’ll be able to choose between “rocket shoes or vanishing shoes.” Shoe Store Man looks a little shady, but when he presents S.A.M. with tiger-striped kicks, S.A.M. knows he has found what’s he’s looking for. Another day of keeping the Plans for World Domination out of evil hands ensues, and the tiger shoes give S.A.M. just enough speed to rescue K. (and the laundry she’s hanging outside) from a thunderstorm. The rather irksome task of shoe shopping gets the golden Bond touch here, as our young 007 takes both the tasks of finding new beaters and protecting the world with equal seriousness, resulting in an entertaining mix of satire and gentle humor. The spy scenes are rendered in blue, blacks and whites, with sharp, angular lines shaping the setting and figures, and blue shadows enveloping the characters. In contrast, warm tones, dappled textures, and K.’s perpetually smiling face bring coziness to the IRL spreads—though darker colors occasionally linger on certain pages, hinting at S.A.M.’s next move. His Team of Expert Spies (three of his stuffed animals) and his code names for various locations in the house (the bathroom is the “Holding Cell of Despair,” while the piano bench is the “Torture Chamber”) are sure to elicit chuckles from viewers. Don’t be surprised if a few kids show up at the next storytime clad in black, flashlight in hand, and, of course, wearing some super-sweet sneakers.