4 out of 4 stars
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The children’s book Sigfried’s Smelly Socks! by Len Foley is, essentially, about terrible, rotten smells and who or what caused them. Various awful smells from different household items are seen at first. Then we meet Sigfried and his smelly socks, they are considerably worse than any other smell in the house. Each pair of socks, depending on color or pattern, has a special horrific smell, but Sigfried gets an idea of how to handle his smelly socks.
This book had my attention from the first page. As a mother, I know how much children enjoy gross topics and this book does not let them down. There are so many things in this book that appeal to me, but my favorite aspect of the book is the use of illustrations mingled with pictures. The pictures of rotten bananas or old pizza and waffles help to make the story so relatable and fun.
In addition to the illustrations and pictures, I enjoyed the rhyming nature of the book. This allows for an easy read for kids and a fun read for parents. Rhyming helps the book flow well, making the transitions within the text seamless. Along with the rhyming, the use of colors and patterns on Sigfried’s socks brings in the element of learning. The younger audience will be learning their colors without even realizing it because they’re having so much fun.
The use of the surprise ending added another element of fun to this already hysterical book. I found myself laughing like a child throughout the book, but especially as I made my way to the surprise conclusion. This surprise will, again, add to any child’s enjoyment and make reading this book over and over again all the more fun.
The only thing that I had issues with, in this book, were some of the smells themselves; for example, “sow lard”. Children reading this book may have a hard time understanding what this is and what it smells like. Perhaps finding some other well known, terrible smell, like the others featured in the book, would be best for the reader.
Overall, I give Sigfried’s Smelly Socks! a score of 4 out of 4. This is an awesome book that would be great for kids and adults of all ages. The various smelly items and the use of the pictures will have you chuckling while you are completely grossed out. This book also has the element of surprise at the end which just adds to the hilarity. This book is a great read!
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Sigfried’s Smelly Socks!
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