4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Sigfried’s Smelly Socks! is a children’s book written and illustrated by Len Foley. Len Foley dedicates his book to Becky and Sofia, proclaiming that their stinky pile of socks inspired him to write the book.
It features a young boy named Sigfried, who is determined to find out the source of the stink emanating from his book. Throughout the twenty-six pages, you’ll find verses in which Sigfried describes all possible reasons that might be the cause of the smell. Each page has an artwork to accompany the words. Most of them are hand-drawn illustrations, while some are still-life pictures. We do not get to know the narrator or his general background. His name is only mentioned once in the whole book, and that’s only in the title. Foley introduces many gross possibilities for the stinky smell. From a rotten banana to dog pee – Sigfried gives a hilarious account of what each page smells like.
My favorite part was the illustrative narration. I loved the photography and editing. Every page has pictures of varied objects, ranging from food to a water hose. It can be an informative way to teach kids to spell household items, since particular words on each page are highlighted in a bigger font. I also loved that the lines were written in consistent verses - the author doesn’t try to rhyme using inappropriate words.
Towards the end of the book, Sigfried describes each of his colored socks. The name of each color is highlighted in the appropriate color, except for blue, which was highlighted in magenta. It was the only inconsistency I could find, but it is a significant mistake since children can get confused. I had hoped to see a more enlightening plot, but the lack of it was barely noticeable. It is clear that this book is meant to be a funny, light read. But kids who’re easily affected by gross descriptions might find this book disgusting. There are a few words which the intended audience might be unfamiliar with. However, parents reading out to their kids can beneficially utilize the chance to introduce new words to them.
There weren’t any noticeable spelling or grammatical errors, which isn’t surprising for a children’s book. The lines are easy to read; kids as well as adults would enjoy reading the book. There are laugh-out-loud moments and the book is hilarious in general. There isn’t any particular moral implied by the story, but it could inspire children to maintain cleanliness. Even though I’m easily grossed out by the mention of disgusting things, I was really entertained by this book. For these reasons, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I’d recommend it to any kids aged three to seven years. Fair warning – if you don’t want to see toilets and flushes outside of your bathroom, stay away!
******
Sigfried’s Smelly Socks!
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Fuzaila's review? Post a comment saying so!
Glad you love my review, and Thank you for your kind comment!
