ALA Booklist (Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 1993)

Like the other picture books about Jamaica and her friends, this one tells a story that captures common childhood experience, both the tension and the joy. Jamaica hates having to wear her brother's hand-me-down boots, especially when her friend Brianna teases her about the boy boots. When Jamaica gets to buy her own new pair, she chooses tan cowboy boots and tells Brianna that her pink fuzzy boots are ugly. Without a hint of didacticism, words and pictures show how jealousy and uncertainty make the friends mean to each other--until they see the hurt they've caused, and they make up. Jamaica is African American, Brianna is Asian American, the setting is suburban, and kids everywhere will recognize the put-downs and the affection. Realistic watercolor paintings, cheerful and tender, show the snowy outdoors, the crowd at the bus stop, the warm interiors of Jamaica's home, the cheerful bustle of the shoe store, and the busy school coatroom, where the quarrel is resolved and the boots are lined up together. (Reviewed Oct. 15, 1993)

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Afraid of being accused of copying her friend Brianna, Jamaica chooses cowboy-style snow boots over pink ones. Jealous Brianna declares that 'cowboy boots aren't in.' The ensuing hurt feelings and eventual reconciliation ring true, as the text and illustrations work together to create a portrait of a warm family, ethnically diverse school, and close friendship.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

The scenario is absolutely authentic: Jamaica is embarrassed by her hand-me-down boys' boots and jealous of Brianna's pretty pink ones; when Jamaica's wear out, she chooses cowboy boots so Brianna won't say she copied—only to have Brianna tell her that they aren't in''; hurt, she declares Brianna'sugly.'' All comes right when the two finally level: Brianna's boots are also hand-me-downs, and she can't wait to grow so she can replace them. Yes, the story's about boots—as important an arena for choice and identity for small children as for their elders—but it's also, in Havill's simple, beautifully honed text, about friendship. O'Brien's warm, realistic illustrations of this vibrant African-American and her lively Asian-American friend are just right. (Picture book. 4-8)"

School Library Journal (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

K-Gr 3-Another charming book about Jamaica, a young African-American girl. This time, the story concerns what happens when she and Brianna, an Asian-American classmate, allow envy to undermine their friendship. Jamaica has to wear her older brother's outgrown, worn-out boots one snowy day. She is not happy about this, and is not helped by Brianna's unfeeling comments. Nor does she appreciate her friend's mean remarks when she gets new boots. Both girls are upset and angry, but they are able to work things out in a satisfying way. O'Brien's illustrations are realistically and beautifully done. They derive their power from the artist's ability to re-create the whole gamut of emotions that can be reflected in little girls' faces. Her solid watercolor paintings wonderfully complement the text, which is gentle and understated. Never preachy or overly dramatic, Havill's tender and sensitive story can be used to help young children deal with negative feelings.-Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ