My Aunt Sherry lives in Peter Cooper Village. That’s in New York City near the East River. I’m staying over this week because it’s my birthday and Aunt Sherry is making me a party. I’ll be four. I can’t wait to be four. I’ll be a big girl then.

Aunt Sherry has flaming red hair and . She laughs a lot and loves the theater. Sometimes we pretend that we are dancing on stage. I love to stay at Aunt Sherry’s.

There’s a special closet in my Aunt Sherry’s house. She let’s me play dress-up there. I can try on anything I like, but my favorite things are Aunt Sherry’s shoes. Aunt Sherry has very good taste in shoes. I sit on the soft green carpet with the door open and stare. Inside, there are boxes piled high.

I take them out one by one. In each box is a special pair of shoes.
There are black shoes in shiny leather.
There are brown shoes that feel like velvet.
There are green shoes made of alligator skin.
There are red shoes with a bow for a strap, gray shoes with a buckle on the toe, and tan shoes with a brown stripe across the top.
There are gold shoes and silver shoes for dancing at fancy parties.

All the shoes have high heels. I try them on and they make me stand on my tippy toes. They are all too big for me, but soon I’ll be four and they will fit because I’ll be a big girl then.

My party is tomorrow. I can’t wait to go to bed and wake up in the morning. I’ll be four when I wake up and then I’ll be able to wear Aunt Sherry’s shoes, because I’ll be a big girl. Tonight I’ll dream about my party. Which shoes will I wear?

When I wake up in the morning, I am excited. Today I am four and I’m a big girl.
I get out of bed and look at my feet. They are the same size they were yesterday!
Well, the day has just started. Maybe they’ll grow after breakfast.

I eat my breakfast quickly and then I check my feet. Still the same size.

I ask Aunt Sherry if I can try on her shoes again. She says yes because she is busy getting ready for my party.

I open the closet and sit on the green carpet. Which shoes should I wear to my party? I try on the silver sparkly shoes with the straps in the back. I look in the mirror as I stand on my tippy toes. Still too big. My little feet don’t seem to know that I’m four now. I try on the navy blue leather shoes. I try on the red suede shoes.

Aunt Sherry calls me from the kitchen. She tells me to wash up and get dressed. It will be lunchtime soon. Time for my party.

I go into my room and my party dress is on the bed. It is pink with pretty puffy sleeves and a pink ribbon around the waist.

After my bath, I put on the dress. Aunt Sherry combs my hair and puts a pink ribbon in it. I have white sox with a pink ruffle around the cuff.

But no pretty shoes.

Then Aunt Sherry brings in a box with wrapping paper that has birthday cakes and candles on it. There is a big pink bow on the box. “Here is your birthday present, big girl,” she says.

I tear off the paper and Aunt Sherry has to help me untie the bow. I look at the box. The box looks just like the ones in Aunt Sherry’s closet. But it is smaller.

I open the box and squeal with delight. Inside is the prettiest pair of shoes I have ever seen. They are pink velvet with a pink velvet strap.

I put them on and Aunt Sherry buckles the strap.

That day, I have a big party. I have friends and hot dogs and cake and ice cream. Everybody sings and gives me presents.

But the best present I have is on my feet. It is my pair of new pink velvet shoes. They don’t make me stand on my tippy toes and they are not too big for me. They fit just right and they are from my Aunt Sherry who has very good taste in shoes.

They are just right for a big girl who is turning four.