Delly is happy to go barefoot until her stuck-up classmate teases her about being too poor to own shoes. Delly finds a way to stand out at the Shoebox Social with a little help from her folks and a lot of her own talent: her hand-painted shoes and matching box outshine everyone else's. Realistic illustrations lovingly depict a close-knit rural community.

A country girl heads to her one-room schoolhouse barefoot and happy, but is mocked by her classmate for being poor and dumb. The school is working on a Festival/Shoebox Social to raise money for art supplies. There, each student will decorate a box to be auctioned off, standing behind a curtain and putting out one shoe to give a hint as to who owns the box. Of course, Adella needs shoes for this activity, but Daddy needs tires, too. So it is much to Adella's surprise when beautiful orange shoes appear beside her bed. Next day, she can't resist showing them at recess, but the cruel girls stomp all over them. Full of hurt, Adella tries to hide the damage with paints that Momma had gathered from nature knowing that Adella would need supplies. (She is already drawing with a worn pencil on used envelopes.) Now her shoes match her beautiful box, and her Daddy makes the highest bid. Her teacher declares Adella a young artist and Daddy's high bid will provide a print set for each student. As a coda, the family takes off their shoes to walk home barefoot one more time before winter. Ettlinger's colored-pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are warm, lush and full of detail, evoking the period and simplicity of a small country community. (Picture book. 5-7)

Gr 1-4-Delly Porter's happy life includes her closely knit, though poor, family; her wise, appreciative teacher; and her love of art. Miss Violet encourages the children's families to take part in a "Shoebox Social" to raise funds for art supplies. As this festive event approaches, Delly, who still walks to school barefoot in October, must face many challenges while confirming the difficulties that life offers. Her father desperately needs new tires for his truck but surprises Delly with a new pair of shoes for the social. She can't wait to show them off, and wears them at recess with disastrous results. The mean girls stomp on them and do their best to scuff and gouge the beautiful orange leather. Devastated, she does the only thing she knows how to do; she gets out some paints and decorates her shoebox and her shoes with pretty vines and flowers. Delly's box commands the highest bid, but it comes from an unlikely source. This warm, heartfelt story is best suited for sharing aloud with children and their parents. The narrative is long and somewhat complex. Ettlinger's portrayal of Delly's rural home and the glimpses of her family and school life add a strong sense of place to this poignant offering.-Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.