Happy Birthday, Jamela! by Niki Daly

Author: Niki Daly
ISBN # 1845074025
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
First published: 2006

It's Jamela's birthday, and she and Mama are off to buy some new shoes. As soon as Jamela sees the Princess Shoes with their sparkly buckles and little satin bows, she falls in love with them, but Mama points out that she'll have to wear the shoes for school too, so a sad Jamela ends up with sensible black shoes. Alone in her room, Jamela tries her best to make the shoes look princessy with beads, glitter and glue - and only succeeds in making Mama very angry indeed. But a lady called Lilly thinks Jamela's decorated shoes are fabulous.

This beautifully illustrated story is bursting with life and excitement. Very young children will love having it read to them whilst looking at the brightly coloured pictures and young readers will enjoy the fun tale of Jamelia, who takes matters into her own hands when she is disappointed by her boring school shoes. Here, a child with a bright idea discovers self-worth with the help of a friendly and artistic adult and finds that a little hard work can have the nicest results!

Rating: 8