Shoes Off, Please
Shoes Off, Please by Helena Ku Rhee is a children’s book published by Random House on June 17, 2025. This 40-page edition explores the experiences of Mina, who feels embarrassed by the Korean tradition of removing shoes before entering her home. As she navigates her feelings about this custom, she learns about the significance of traditions and how they connect her to her heritage.
In this story, Mina’s journey unfolds as she invites her friends over and grapples with her cultural identity. Through her mother’s gentle guidance, Mina discovers that her friends also have unique customs, fostering a sense of understanding and respect among them. The narrative highlights themes of family life, friendship, and multicultural experiences, encouraging young readers to appreciate diverse traditions. This edition offers a relatable perspective on growing up and embracing one’s background while fostering social skills and connections with others.
Official synopsis Publisher
When Mina invites friends over, she is embarrassed by the Korean tradition of removing shoes before entering a home until she understands the meaning of the custom.
Mina’s mother is a seamstress who works from home and always keeps the cupboard full of snacks. Her friends like to gather at her house, but Mina hesitates to ask them to remove their shoes before entering. Mina loves most of the Korean traditions that she celebrates with her mother, but this one involves her friends. Why do they have to be different?
When her mother gently reminds her that traditions connect you to your ancestors and to your past, Mina gathers her friends to explain that she lives in a no-shoes house. To her surprise, Mina finds out that her friends have different customs that they follow at their homes. They are happy to honor Mina’s culture but how will they remember?
A trip to the laundry with her mother to deliver newly mended clothes, gives Mina a great idea. Now she knows just what to do.
From the author of the highly acclaimed The Paper Kingdom and Rosa’s Song comes a new story based on the author’s own experience growing up and learning about the importance of family traditions.
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