Book Overview
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.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0374328420
ISBN13:9780374328429
Release Date:August 2006
Publisher:Farrar Straus Giroux
Length:32 Pages
Weight:1.40 lbs.
Dimensions:0.4" x 8.7" x 11.3"
Age Range:4 to 8 years
Grade Range:Kindergarten to Grade 3
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
Love the interaction between mom and kid
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
It's very realistic, and very loving and sweet. Jamela needs new shoes to go with her new birthday dress. Well, shoes are expensive, so her mother sensibly nixes the pretty white ones in favor of the black ones suitable for school. Guess who's not happy about that? Of course, nothing is too much of an obstacle for a kid with a bright idea. She'll just make her school shoes pretty! Now her mother's the unhappy one, right? Luckily, there's a happy ending - Jamela makes more of her special shoes, sells them at a profit, gives the money to her mom to pay her back for the ruined school shoes, and gets new school shoes for her birthday (she was politely "surprised") and... the not-so-sensible white ones as a *real* surprise. I can see this happening in my own life, too. It's very true-to-life, I can't recommend it enough.
Niki Daly and Jamela are our favourites
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
My kids just love Jamela. It is so good for kids to read about children in other countries. Children without hundreds of toys and endless pressure on them, but with a loving family and community where fun things happen. We also enjoyed "christmas" and Yebo Jamela.
excellent
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
my granddaughter and I have read this book a dozen times since Christmas, when Santa brought her the book. She has taken it to school to share with the other girls. It is a total joy. It would have been even better, it there would have been a little explanation of the country the story was taking place in.
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