Queen’s New Shoes, The
by Adwoa Badoe

For ages 4-8. Introduces us to Esmeralda, the formidable queen of Karakatoo, and her closet full of shoes - not including the ones on her feet, which totals two thousand, four hundred and forty-nine pairs in all! Esmeralda must have one more pair of shoes because the number "two thousand, five hundred sounds even and nice". When Esmeralda has searched the city, finding not one pair to please her, she issues a royal decree granting a wish to the person who finds her a pair of shoes to match her rainbow royal gown. When a poor girl named Rada brings Esmeralda her only pair of shoes, sandals woven from strips of colourful rags, Esmeralda must face the girl and the promise that will change her life and the city forever. ’The Queen’s New Shoes’ teaches us thoughtful lessons on greed and arrogance, and offers us a wonderful tale of learning and sharing.