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Summary
Summary
"I have lost my new blue socks. Did I put them in my box?" Simple rhymes--including socks, box, fox, and ox !--spin the tale of a small duck who waddles through the countryside, forlornly searching for his blue socks. "I'm trying not to be depressed. / Without my socks I feel undressed." Finally, a sharp-eyed peacock sees a bit of blue peeking out of duck's lace-up shoes and the mini-mystery is solved! Soft-hued, adorable pen-and-ink and watercolor paintings adorn this winsome story that shares the familiar experience of not really losing something after all.
Author Notes
Eve Bunting was born in 1928 in Maghera, Ireland, as Anne Evelyn Bunting. She graduated from Northern Ireland's Methodist College in Belfast in 1945 and then studied at Belfast's Queen's College. She emigrated with her family in 1958 to California, and became a naturalized citizen in 1969.
That same year, she began her writing career, and in 1972, her first book, "The Two Giants" was published. In 1976, "One More Flight" won the Golden Kite Medal, and in 1978, "Ghost of Summer" won the Southern California's Council on Literature for Children and Young People's Award for fiction. "Smokey Night" won the American Library Association's Randolph Caldecott Medal in 1995 and "Winter's Coming" was voted one of the 10 Best Books of 1977 by the New York Times.
Bunting is involved in many writer's organizations such as P.E.N., The Authors Guild, the California Writer's Guild and the Society of Children's Book Writers. She has published stories in both Cricket, and Jack and Jill Magazines, and has written over 150 books in various genres such as children's books, contemporary, historic and realistic fiction, poetry, nonfiction and humor.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
There's something particularly upsetting about losing a brand-new possession, so it's no wonder that Duck is feeling a little lost himself: "I'm trying not to be depressed./ Without my socks I feel undressed." His friends-whose names also rhyme with "socks"-are sympathetic and offer tips ("I may have seen your new blue socks-/ I saw some socks down on the rocks," says Mr. Ox). As in their 2011 collaboration, Tweak Tweak, Bunting and Ruzzier create a lightly surreal and emotionally benevolent landscape, this time introducing a hero who's considerably more independent than the baby elephant from the earlier book. The book's gentle takeaway-reinforced by Ruzzier's signature offbeat aesthetic (Duck is colored soft green; Mr. Ox sits alone in a field, painting a landscape) and Bunting's solid, conversational rhymes-is twofold. When you lose something, action is better than tantrum. And when someone you know loses something, respond with genuine helpfulness-and don't make fun of them when it turns out that they were (ahem) wearing their beloved blue socks the entire time. Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Bunting and Ruzzier team up again (Tweak Tweak, rev. 5/11), this time with rhyme and rhythm and imaginative illustrations that will bring inevitable comparisons to Dr. Seuss. It's no wonder Duck's new blue socks are missing -- a neatnik, he is not. Duck's living room is a mess: a belt is hanging from an open window, a soccer ball rests under a bench holding a cactus and the remnants of a meal, a number of blobby bits are growing on the floor. None of his animal friends is able to help, and Duck remains sad and frustrated until at last he discovers the socks' location. The reader or lap listener will enjoy pointing out the socks, as Ruzzier has hidden them in plain sight. The best way to experience this droll book is by reading the jaunty rhyme aloud. "I will ask my friend the fox. / Have you seen my new blue socks?'" Later, Mr. Ox says, "Did you look inside your box? / Did you ask your friend the fox? / I may have seen your new blue socks -- / I saw some socks down on the rocks." It's hard to resist, especially when the cartoon illustrations are so captivating in their absurdity. Duck's expression is all in the eyebrows -- such angst over a pair of socks has never been conveyed so well. Blues, teals, and greens are the background for the child-friendly, offbeat details Ruzzier has planted in the illustrations, including underwear, dog bones, and a painting ox. An accessible vocabulary and easy-to-sound-out words make this a perfect book for the newest reader, especially one with a grand sense of humor. robin l. smith (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
A little green duck is as blue as the favorite pair of socks he is missing. Where could they have gone? On his hunt the duck meets a fox who suggests asking the ox. The ox tells him to look down on the rocks, but all he sees there are peacocks. This very simple rhyming picture book would work just as well as an easy reader with much better artwork than often seen in that format. Illustrator Ruzzier has fun with the idea (when the duck is tossing stuff from his box as he tries to locate the socks, he comes up with everything from one die to a pair of underpants), and the characters, simply drawn in ink and watercolor, all have their own personalities. The ending won't be a surprise to the eagle-eyed, but those who guess where the socks are will enjoy their superiority over Duck. Just one quibble: the key line, which has a little peacock showing the socks to Duck, sounds like Yoda-speak, and kids may trip on it. Otherwise, good fun.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Duck has lost his favorite pair of socks. In a drawer of boring white socks, his new blue socks stood out. He is forlorn without his cheerful footwear and sets out to ask his friends to aid in the search. His friends Mr. Fox and Mr. Ox offer suggestions, but are no real help. It takes the keen eye of a young peacock to solve the mystery. Michele O. Medlin narrates the simple rhyming tale with squeaky friendliness. Yet like most picture books, the words depend on the synergy of accompanying illustrations. Although this slight, almost Seussian story is cute, it gets much of its charm from Sergio Ruzzier's adorable artwork. With the picture book before them, observant readers will thrill at noticing where Duck's missing socks are before the youngest Peacock steps in to help. Connect kids with the book (Clarion, 2013) and this audio version and you've got a winning combination.- Jennifer Verbrugge, State Library Services, Roseville, MN (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Where, oh where are Duck's new blue socks? Duck is quite sad over the loss of his new blue socks. "I know I put them somewhere near. / How could they simply disappear?" He searches his big box to no avail. He asks his friend Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox hasn't seen them, but he suggests rifling the big box and asking the ox. The ox hasn't seen them either, but he did see some socks on the rocks by the lake. Unfortunately, "[t]hese are socks, but they're not new. / They're more like purple, not like blue." Duck asks the peacocks if they've seen his socks, telling them everywhere he's looked and everyone he's askedand the youngest peacock notices "a touch of blue / underneath your laced-up shoe!" Bunting and Ruzzier (Tweak Tweak, 2011) reteam with excellent results. Bunting's lyrical rhyming, repeating text is only a few large words from early-reader territory: "I'm trying not to be depressed. / Without my socks I feel undressed." Storytime audiences will enjoy Duck's sock hunt, and lapsitters with sharp eyes can spot the gradual unraveling reveal of the new blue socks' location in Ruzzier's broad, cartoon watercolors. A great addition to the literature on ducksor socks! (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
