Boots

Author: Elizabeth PulsforD
Format: Hardback, 260mm x 220mm, 32 pages
Published: Wombat Books, Australia, 2024

Our lives are measured by the places we hold dear, the people we love and the paths we have trodden. So, who better to tell our stories than the shoes we wear? Boots, exactly as the title suggests, describes a beloved pair of working boots. Through their endearing perspective, this picture book narrates the life of a cattle farmer and his love of the Australian bush.
Written in simple, but lyrical prose, Boots breathes life into a generation of hardworking men and women, their humble lifestyles, and an unforgiving landscape that is intrinsic to the Australian identity. With themes of love, loss, old age, hardship and resilience, and references to drought, flood, bushfire and war, Boots provides a candid glimpse into the trials and tribulations of one man’s life.
While this story paints a gentle portrait of an ‘everyday hero’, Boots celebrates a much broader facet of the Australian national spirit, and most importantly, it reminds readers of the universal importance of making each moment of our own finite lives count, even in the face of an unpredictable future.

Elizabeth Pulsford is a high school English and Drama teacher, and has former experience working locally and internationally, as an actor, script writer and director of Children’s Theatre. Krista is a freelance illustrator, fine artist and art teacher who lives in Sydney, Australia. She primarily uses traditional methods for her art, including watercolour, ink and oils.