4 out of 4 stars
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Sigfried’s Smelly Socks! by Len Foley
Len Foley dedicates this rollicking olfactory romp to Becky and Sofia, an extant duo with a seemingly insatiable propensity to sock-pile. Witnessing tandem in action “inspired” the conjuring of Foley’s titular fictitious maverick. It’s a tough call whether Sigfried is just slovenly by nature, a comic rabble-rouser or truly doesn’t give a care. But it is fair game to observe that the dude is slightly bent, no matter how you grasp his disposition. The festering, fetid landscape that he inhabits in this off-kilter tale is an aggregate family affair. An obtuse grownup uncle (Kato) wreaks as much nasal havoc as Sigfried’s noxious sock habit. And for good measure, his brother (Sherman), sister (Piper) and resident canine unit (Oscar) pump up the communal stink cloud with their own gross, idiosyncratic contributions to the emergent bio-hazard. Masquerading an age 3-7 kids’ book, this offering -- with quirky and delightful drawings mixed with pictures throughout-- will render story time a thing of wonder for the good humored of all ages.
Things kick off with Sigfried deadpanning, “Something stinks about this book”. Then he lures you into the mystery, with a goodly dose of rhyme no less, to get to the root of the comprehensive pong over his domicile. The heaviest rot is between the pages of the book he so kindly the guides the reader through, where food-stuff looms large as specious odor sources. Think pizza slice book marker -- amid sundry alternate defilement of his prized reading material. Then throw in the likes of ostrich breath and even an invisible stench of origins unknown. The meat of the matter, though, is all about Sigfried’s color-coded crusty compendium. A word to the wise: steer well clear of the purple socks.
Sigfried’s Smelly Socks! sniff out to be a perfect fit at 4 out of 4 stars. An effusive three-and-a-half out of four may have been called for, to account for disparate tastes and whatnot, but a bonus just had to be conferred – in recognition of the exemplary self-publication that’s on display. This is a fun read for kids and packs enough of an edge to keep the likely older or adult reader engrossed and amused, too. Interestingly enough, Foley bagged a Mom’s Choice Award -- from the American-based watchdog organization which is globally recognized, “for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services”.
So… An observation, by way of avoiding the appearance of proselytizing, after not encountering any real knocks worth mentioning. Sure, the otherwise vivid illustrations (done in iPad Pro) could be more ornate. But that wouldn’t snap the narrative along any smoother or in any way elevate the already heightened sense of stink that abounds. An over-fixation on the graphics, in this case, may have actually served to clear the air (if you will), as a distraction from the easily imagined pervasive filth and nastiness.
Trust me on this. As is, you still want no part of ole Siggy’s socks—though in comparative malodor he maintains that, “they don’t cause much trouble”. You’ll catch yourself involuntarily rubbing your nose, chortling as you tag along with him on his travails and ultimately get a whiff of the highly twisted ending far too soon. It’s a decidedly short read at 26 pages anyway (hey, does that count as something I didn’t like, then?), so there’s no spoiler in positing that perhaps the best of many laughs is saved for last. Sigfried’s way out there, man. But you should at least try to meet him in the middle for a couple of grunts and giggles.
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Sigfried’s Smelly Socks!
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