In this fourth title (of five, to date) in the series, Jamela eagerly antici pates her birthday party and the new clothes she hopes to wear. However, her mother decides on practical new black shoes that are suitable for school. Jamela overcomes her disappointment by decorating the plain shoes with sparkly beads, which dismays her mother. Jamela’s artist neighbor helps Jamela devise a plan of similarly decorating more shoes to sell in Lily’s mar ket stand. With her earnings, Jamela is able to pay her mama back and then is surprised on her birthday with the “Princess Shoes” for which she had been so hoping in the first place. Vibrant watercolor illustrations capture the story’s emotional swings. 2007 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year. bal

Originally published by Frances Lincoln Great Britain by arrangement with The Inkman South Africa, in 2006.

What Jamela wants for her birthday is a pair of beautiful princess shoes. What she gets instead is clunky, practical school shoes. Jamela is definitely disappointed, but with glitter, beads, and glue - and a burst of inspiration - she transforms her present into a funky, fun work of art. Mama thinks Jamela's handiwork is a waste of hard-earned money . . . until a local artist helps Jamela tap the full potential of her spirited creativity.

Vibrant illustrations animate a sunny and satisfying story set in South Africa about embracing the imagination and also about feelings and situations that often arise at birthdays and other gift-giving occasions.