Littleshoes is a little girl’s story of joy, determination, cousins, a man in a suit, vulnerability, and how it all impacted her life. The story ends when the little girl is ready to grow, let go, and play.

This nonfiction children’s picture book is a visual map of Susan Chavez’s journey of healing from her attempted kidnapping at four years old. Her artwork for this book was born from those emotional moments when understanding collided with her willingness to work through the issues that impacted her.

This children’s book is more than a little girl’s story. It is proof that anyone, at any age, can heal from the scary things that sometimes happen to us when we are children. It is a warm, reassuring hug that reminds us that art is a beautiful, healing tool.