Big Shoes to Fill

Book excerpt: A touching picture book about resilience, identity, and familial love. Every morning when Ta’mkhulu helps Zinzo to shine his shoes, he reminds him that he has big shoes to fill. Zinzo wants to make his dads proud, even though they live far away in the city. His grandfather sets a great example by being kind and caring to everyone in the village. But when the children at school learn about Zinzo’s unconventional family they are not kind to him at all. Can Zinzo show them that being different is nothing to be afraid of? Big Shoes to Fill is a proudly South African book that encourages acceptance, understanding and kindness towards the LBGTQI+ community. This picture book is not only a tribute to the unbreakable bonds of family but also a celebration of the courage to stand tall in one’s own shoes. Also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans.