Jamela gets her new dress, but when she spies a perfect pair of sparkly Princess Shoes, Mama  tells her that she needs shoes that she can also wear to school, and the Princess Shoes go back to the saleslady. Jamela has an idea just what to do with the sturdy black shoes... she gets out her box of treasures and glue and attaches sparkly beads all over the shoes.

Mama is very upset, but Lily, the artist from down the road thought the shoes would sell like hotcakes at her stand in the market. This wonderful story of how a bad situation gets turned around for a joyful ending is just right for a family read aloud or a great bedtime story.

Daly's bright, whimsical, water colors add unrestrained vitality to the story. While this is a story that every child can relate to, the text has some words and phrases from the Bantu language of the Xhosas of South Africa, and there is a short glossary in the back of the book with their meanings.