The Sole Man: Jan Matzeliger’s Lasting Invention by Shana Keller, Stephen Costanza who is the illustrator.
I read this book via an online reader copy, however, it is available. I was looking through old links I have and this popped up. I was oh, okay, that’s interesting. I clicked the link and the cover hopped onto the screen. I loved the covers’ rich colors and bold use of them. The blues and pink popped, the creamy title both soothing and bounced. The story is simple enough, Jan Matzeliger, against the odds, took himself and would invent an item that would change the shoe world. A bit on the longer side, it is good for a listener who sits for a spell. The older reader (up to around 9 or so) could read with assistance. 
The thing is, I don’t know too many kids who would want to read about shoes. Therefore, it is aimed at someone who is interested in machinery and technology. Also, it is a good book for studying immigration and people of color. Jan Ernst Matzeliger was a person who spoke no English, was a black man, was not even 20 when he came to this country but would change the footwear industry. Not bad for a Dutch-speaking man from Suriname.
Overall, I enjoyed this biographical picture book. It was not a “best book ever” but I know that teachers need this in their classrooms. It will help introduce a name that I had never heard of, but now am curious about.
