Book Review: The Invention of Shoe

Team Kitaab reviews The Invention of the Shoe (Niyogi Books, 2025), originally written by Rabindranath Tagore and translated by Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee with illustrations by Prof. Sekhar Mukherjee.

Rabindranath Tagore’s The Invention of the Shoe stands as a fine example of the poet-philosopher’s ability to distill complex ideas into deceptively simple narratives. Originally written in Bengali, this short tale reflects Tagore’s characteristic blend of wit, social critique, and philosophical reflection. In the hands of translator Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee and illustrator Prof. Sekhar Mukherjee, the story re-emerges as a vibrant graphic novel for children, retaining the intellectual spirit of the original while acquiring a new visual and pedagogical dimension.

The narrative unfolds with King Habu, a monarch whose royal sensibilities are offended by the dust that soils his feet. His command to Minister Gabu is to find a means of keeping his feet clean. This sets into motion a series of increasingly absurd attempts at solving the problem. The royal court becomes a theater of comic excess, where intellectuals and officials propose elaborate, impractical solutions. Only when a humble cobbler offers a simple, direct answer does the chaos subside: thus, the shoe is invented.