Shoe-la-la! by Karen Beaumont - Book Review and Giveaway

My daughter has narrow feet so she must deal with limited options when it comes to purchasing shoes. But that doesn't stop her from dreaming. She likes flashy even when it comes to sneakers. If she could somehow figure out a way to make it happen, all of her clothing and accessories would sparkle. So, when a new, sparkly book called Shoe-la-la! arrived in our mailbox last week, she snatched it up with glee. Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious and now Shoe-la-la ... her glamour girl books.

Shoe-La-La! by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Leuyen Pham. Scholastic Press (January 2011); ISBN 9780545067058; picture book
Book Source: Review copy from publisher


At the corner of Hightop and Oxford streets sits a fancy shoe store called Shoe-la-la with aisles and aisles of shoes galore. Four little girls -- Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn, Claire -- have a party to attend and need shoes to match their fancy outfits. They decide to visit the posh shoe palace, each in search of the perfect pair. A mountain of shoes piles up, and they have a splendid time as they try on pair after pair after pair, ones with leopard spots to shoes with taps. But, they never find exactly what they need and leave empty-handed, much to the frustration of their exhausted salesman. Undaunted, the children-turned-designers use their imagination and crafty talents to fashion their own fabulous party footwear.

With all the glitter on the cover and all the dress-up fun inside, this one is a not-to-miss for every little girl. Shoe-la-la! comes with a full seal of approval from my daughter. The rhyming verses make it a supremely fun read-aloud (wouldn't expect less from the brilliant Beaumont -- love Ain't Gonna Paint know More! & now love Shoe-la-la!) and the text is short and interesting enough to keep the attention of toddlers on up to early elementary. LeUyen Pham's illustrated array of shoes is dizzying! My daughter delights in picking out her favorites from all the piles. She'd be in heaven if she could try them on herself. Pham gives the four multicultural girls their own distinctive styles and personalities. And, her drawings make it easy to get swept up in the girls' enthusiasm for shoes. Even my toddler son can't resist.

Related links:
Leuyen Pham - Illustrator Website
Karen Beaumont - Author Website




❖❖ Design Your Own Shoe Craft ❖❖
Not to be outdone, my kids decided to fancy up some shoes of their own with this homemade slipper craft. For the sole of the shoes, I traced the shape of their feet onto pieces of craft foam paper and cut them out with a scissors. I then cut out half circle pieces of foam to use for the top of the slipper. I sewed the shoe tops and bottoms together by hand (it didn't take long and I wasn't fussy about being neat). The kids took their perfectly sized slippers and personalized them with stickers, markers and whatever else they could find in the house. The shoe project was hit and best of all, they could try on and model their designs when they were finished, just like in the book!





Scholastic has graciously offered to give away (2) copies of Shoe-la-la! Two (2) winners will each get a sparkly book about some fancy shoes!

To enter this contest, leave a comment relevant to this post. Or, let me know if you have a favorite children's book about shoes. We're in shoe mode and would love your suggestions.

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• Contest ends on Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.
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