This is one of those rare picture books that adults remember years later because it doesn't talk down to kids about hard things. Economic inequality, peer pressure, the ache of wanting what you can't have—Boelts gets it all on the page without making it a morality tale.

Jeremy isn't a saint. He buys too-small thrift store shoes because he wants them that badly, wears them until his feet hurt, and only then realizes his friend Antonio's situation is worse. The generosity comes from experience, not a lecture. That's good writing.

The 4.8 Amazon rating and consistent 4-8 age recommendations across multiple sources suggest this lands well. It's been in print since 2009 and still gets assigned in classrooms, which means it hasn't aged poorly. If you're looking for a book that opens conversations about money, empathy, and what actually matters without being insufferable about it, this is the one.