A Fox Got My Socks

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

``On a sunny washing day, / my clothes flip-flapped and blew away,'' opens Offen's ( Nice Work, Little Wolf ) brief, chipper rhyme cum pantomime. Underneath a jovial, double-page illustration showing boldly-colored items of clothing sailing through the sky, a diaper-clad toddler is pictured with his arms outstretched, following instructions to ``Flap arms.'' As each article lands on a different animal (``A cat got my hat''; ``A goat got my coat''; ``Two baby llamas were in my pajamas''), the cherubic youngster is seen mimicking the actions of the amusingly clad creatures. Preschoolers will willingly do likewise, as they simultaneously listen to the lighthearted verse and simple directions, such as ``Pretend to hold up pants'' and ``Pretend to wrap scarf around your neck.'' A satisfying, double-edged romp to spark a child's imagination. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)

School Library Journal

PreS-- Offen's rhymed action book provides interactive fun for toddlers as they learn to dress, recognize animals, and distinguish sizes. The text begins, ``On a sunny washing day,/ my clothes flip-flapped and blew away.'' As the child discovers his clothing being worn by various animals, appropriate gestures are demonstrated in the story. He buttons his coat (worn by a goat), wraps a scarf around his neck like the giraffe, and dances off the last page, concluding he's ``. . . happy enough/ without all that stuff!'' Pictures are warm, bold, and bright, and the format is large and inviting. A welcome English import. --Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TX

Hazel Rochman

This bright picture book draws the listener right into the story as a barefoot toddler is shown acting out the words to a funny rhyming text. In a sunny scene the child's clothes flip-flap on the clothesline and blow away, and the small child shows and tells you to "Flap arms." As each piece of clothing lands on a different animal, the child acts it out. For "A cat got my hat," the instruction is "Touch head with both hands." For "An owl got my towel," the child pretends to flap a towel. Young children will enjoy the action rhyme as well as the clear, droll pictures and the comic sounds and images: "My scarf made me laugh, wrapped around a giraffe."