Ever since she can remember, Ella Mae has worn her cousin Charlotte's hand-me-down shoes. But today she is going to get a brand-new pair. In the shoe store, a girl with yellow pigtails is trying on a pair of pretty red Mary Janes. Because she's black, Ella Mae isn't allowed to try on shoes. Her mother traces Ella Mae's feet on a piece of paper, and the salesman looks for a pair of shoes that will fit. Ella Mae is upset. But not for long. She and Charlotte have a plan to rectify this humiliating experience! Susan Lynn Meyer's charming characters and the compelling situation, along with Eric Velasquez's beautiful paintings, tell a deeply moving and thought-provoking story.