One Red Sock

June 15, 2019
A purple hippo in a polka-dot room learns that there's more to personal style than matchy-matchy. It's a lesson worth the learning. In rhymes that set up each color for younger audiences to predict before the page turn, the portly protagonist rummages through her dresser, pairing her one red sock with...a blue one, then a green one, then a succession of other mismatches--none quite right--until she's left with only one last option...polka dots. " 'Well, it's not perfect. / And it's definitely not red. // But at least it matches / my room!' she said." Young readers will survey the frustrated hippo's increasingly cluttered digs with glee...and likely be unsurprised to discover (once she's tottered off with a slipper on one foot and a spike heel on the other) that fugitive red sock crammed into a chair cushion. Mismatched socks pair up to demonstrate a broader point in C.K. Smouha and Eleonora Marton's Sock Story (2019), but the suggestion here that "try, try again" with apparel choices (or anything else, for that matter) can lead to success, or at least some pleasant surprises, may inspire budding fashionistas to think outside the dresser drawer. A cheery invitation to sock synergy when same-old, same-old palls. (afterword) (Picture book. 5-7)

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August 1, 2019

PreS-K-A purple hippo puts on a red sock, but has difficulty finding a matching one in this amusing picture book. After realizing the red sock is missing, the hippo searches her sock drawer, finding several other socks of different colors, but none of them match hers. Finally, she pulls out a polka dot sock, and determines that the mismatched pair matches the state of her messy room, and happily wears the two together. The final page reveals that the second red sock had been there all along, mixed in with other clothes sloppily gathered on a chair. Sattler uses playful, bouncy rhymes and a cute, endearing hippo to teach young readers about color in a fun, lighthearted way. The illustrations are bright, bold, and colorful and each new color is introduced with large block letters and a two page-spread, making this title particularly appealing for group-sharing. The hippo's decision to happily wear the mismatched socks is humorous, as is the reveal that, unbeknownst to the hippo, the missing sock had been there all along. VERDICT With eye-catching colors, sprightly rhymes, and a peppy protagonist, this title makes a charming addition to color-themed concept books. Recommended.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

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