Odd Socks by Michelle Robinson and Rebecca Ashdown
| Odd Socks by Michelle Robinson and Rebecca Ashdown | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: When the worst happens, it takes a strong couple to survive. A strong couple of socks, that is. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: January 2016 |
| Publisher: Andersen Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1783443376 | |
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Socks, eh? They never used to trouble me and would return from the washing machine in pairs, just as they had entered. I never fully understood the whole Land-of-missing-socks thing. Suki and Sosh are Mr and Mrs Sock, a matching pair who live happily together in the sock drawer. They too have never visited the Land-of-missing-socks. See? It's not just me. But something even worse is about to happen to tear this couple apart. Something quite horrible: Suki has a hole.
This is the cutest story about having a soulmate (sole mate?) and doing whatever you can to stay together. When Suki disappears, Sosh sets out on a mission to reunite them, and because this is a children's book his wish is granted, albeit in an unpredictable, and highly amusing way.
I love tales told in rhyme but I didn't think this was the best verse I'd ever read. Narrating it out loud the first time through was tricky as sometimes you end up with 3 or 4 lines which you need to read together to get to the rhyme for the one line before. It wasn't obvious or intuitive, but all the rhymes were there and I imagine it would get easier with time. The vocabulary is fairly easy, with a good mix of basic and colloquial as in Chuck such a super sock? They wouldn't dare.
The illustrations are scraggly, crayon style and really help tell the story. You might think it might be hard to work with a book where the star characters are footwear, but the result here is a drawer full of socks you want to fall in love with. I obviously had to crinkle up my nose at the sight of socks and sandals being worn in tandem, but otherwise, Suki and Sosh have some good adventures across the pages. I also liked the tactile nature of the front cover – always an added bonus.
I'd like to thank the publishers for supplying this book. It's very novel and I enjoyed the story, plus I think with a few goes I could get the rhyme down pat.
If you were hoping this book might be a more practical look at hosiery, or need some tips in that direction, we can recommend Pants, Vest, Getting Dressed! (All By Myself) by Debbie Foy. You might also enjoy Bocchi and Pocchi and the Bird by Noriko Matsubara. Older readers might appreciate The Lost Sock by Gillian Johnson.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Odd Socks by Michelle Robinson and Rebecca Ashdown at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Odd Socks by Michelle Robinson and Rebecca Ashdown at Amazon.com.
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