I Lost My Sock!

January 1, 2017
A lost sock is vexing for Fox, who is looking for its match.Fox's friend Ox tries to help, producing a variety of socks very different from the polka-dot blue version Fox is wearing. Undaunted, Ox lifts a truck full of socks and empties its contents in assorted colors, still finding no match. Finally Ox appears with an exact match on his head, causing Fox to joyously shout, "YOU FOUND MY SOCK!...IT'S ON YOUR HEAD!" But Ox says it's really a hat that's perfectly structured to fit his head and store all his oranges, which he cannot place in his pockets because he doesn't wear pants. What? The absurdity of Ox's response elicits an empathetic reaction from Fox, who relents to his friend's unusual vision and gives him the matching sock/hat, resolving to make use of all the unmatched socks Ox provided. Now if Fox can only find his other shoe. Black-outlined cartoon figures created with brush pen and Photoshop depict Fox with a hexagonal head, triangle body, and diamond tail and Ox with a semicircular body, square head, and circular snout (his almost ever present smile curves up in pleasing complementarity to his humped back). The text is simple, suitable for both independent reading and as a read-aloud for small groups. Compassionate friendship is demonstrated by two very different yet amiable companions in this amusing scenario. (Picture book. 3-5)

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March 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-Good-natured Ox tries to help Fox find his missing sock, but each sock he pulls out is notably different than the one on Fox's foot. Eventually, Ox gives up and prepares to leave, putting on his hat, at which point Fox shouts, "OX! YOU FOUND MY SOCK!" Though readers will recognize Fox's sock, Ox insists that the item he is wearing is a hat, which fits his head perfectly and is also the ideal place to store his oranges. A puzzled Fox asks Ox why he doesn't use his pockets, to which Ox replies, "Because I'm not wearing any pants." This line will get a laugh from kids, and Fox seems charmed as well, because he decides not only to let Ox keep his sock but also to give him the other. The illustrations, created with brush pen and Photoshop, are made up of simple shapes with thick black outlines and a limited color palette. Readers may be disappointed by text that at first seems to follow a rhyming scheme but moves out of it after several pages. This disrupts the flow slightly, especially when reading aloud. Regardless, the simple vocabulary and repetition could make this a good choice for beginning readers. VERDICT While this book does have its funny moments, there are better sock-themed titles out there, notably Eve Bunting's Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? and Dr. Seuss's Fox in Socks.-Kimberly Tolson, Concord Free Public Library, MA

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