Have You Seen My New Blue Socks?

I had quickly leafed through this book once before at the library, after which I shelved it and in my head already put it into the category of generic, toddler aimed, rhyming books about socks/shoes with cute animal pictures. I must have been in a hurry that day! Well, it is all the above, BUT it is also so much more, so I'm glad I gave it a second reading. The cover of the book is in gentle pastel tones, with a picture of a little duck, quite adorable, but if you look closely there's a whole story going on there, starting with the frantic expression of the little green duck, as it digs through it's box of treasures. My son would identify. And all the little details on the cover give away more clues about this duck, who we're now show more finding endearing already. Now, open the book and the subtle watercolor pictures (always in this same pastel color palette) reveal duck's curious house in the middle of gorgeous, fantasy landscapes. There's something "Seussian" about them, I immediately think [b:Lorax|7784|The Lorax|Dr. Seuss|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327879938s/7784.jpg|886002] ... except that it's different. The landscapes are sparse, yet rich in interesting detail. Little duck looks a bit lonely in his house, but luckily he has good friends in the fox, the ox, and the peacocks. The pictures are comical and tender at the same time. Mr. Ox is painting a landscape picture, as duck turns up to inquire about his socks. Poor duck is so concerned, while Mr. Ox is mildly interested, yet helpful.

We are getting a bit too old for this type of books, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The rhyming is simple, but it's creative and it's very fluid, again reminiscent of Dr. Seuss: "I know I put them somewhere near / How could they dimply disappear?", "These are socks, but they're not new. / They're more like purple, not like blue. / I'm trying not to be depressed. / Without my socks I feel undressed. / I'll ask the peacocks -- they might know. / They're always strutting to and fro." This is a great read aloud for toddlers, but would also probably fit the prereader, or the early reader. show less

Duck is desperate when he realizes his new blue socks are missing! After searching to no avail, he starts reaching out to other animal friends for suggestions.

I think we can all relate to losing track of an item only to find it in the last place we thought to look. What’s nice here is the collaborative nature of the search.

This is a nice picture book to readaloud to even very young children as it is short and sweet.

The little duck looks all over for his new blue socks, asking friends for help and receiving (rhyming) suggestions along the way. (Despite the rhyme scheme, it didn't remind me of Fox in Socks while I was reading it, only when I began to type this review.)

Observant readers will notice the socks before the official reveal, and may feel much cleverer than the silly duck.

The illustrations are colorful but low-contrast, with little to no white space.

The strong rhyme and rhythm of Green Eggs and Ham but much shorter, for today's oh-so-busy families. :insert snort of frustration here:

Great art, love the peacock strutting. Humor and vocabulary perfect. I just think there ought to be a bit more....

Perfect for preschool read-aloud, by also would be great for an emerging reader with all the rhyming and controlled vocabulary.

I love that the illustrations include a book shelf, or an ox sitting at his easel with paints. Very subtle, but a celebration of the arts. Nice touch!

Highly Recommended

Duck is on the hunt for his blue socks that he lost. As he is looking through his room, the reader notices that duck is a bit messy. His friends give him suggestions as to where he could look. The friends, like fox and Mr. Ox, give suggestions – but duck still can’t find his socks. Finally, duck gets to the family of peacocks, who seem to be rather smart. As duck is asking where the socks are, the peacocks are all staring at the blue socks on his feet. Duck forgot that he had put his new, blue socks on and then covered them up with his shoes. The reader can feel ducks excitement as he finds his new, blue socks.

The illustrations are cartoon watercolors. They are funny and the expressions of the characters go along show more perfectly with the text. The colors are warm. The characters are cute and loveable. Young readers will recognize what it feels like to try and find something in a messy room.

This book could be used in the classroom or school library as a read aloud. The rhythmic structure of the book makes it easy to read and grabs the listener’s attention. It is also a good choice for an emerging reader to choose for independent reading. A school librarian can use this book to illustrate humor in fiction to young readers. Kids will laugh out loud when they spot the underwear on the floor. This book could also be used to promote AR reading as there is an accompanying quiz for those students interested. show less

Charming whimsical fun with many obvious Seussian influences.