4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Sigfried’s smelly socks! by Len Foley is a unique and fun-filled children’s book creatively written to fascinate the mind. From the beginning, the book admits to being smelly! It is a very delightful book specifically targeted at the youngest of readers. It features a boy, Sigfried, who is the narrator. Sigfried skilfully takes the reader on a page-by-page journey, with the aim of finding out why the book smells so bad. He explains how each smelly stain got to each page- from the rotten banana on page six to his sister’s dirty diaper on page ten.
Eventually, Sigfried finds where the bad smell is coming from; his socks that were hidden under his bed! He describes the socks; their colours and designs, then goes on to say how each of them smell. Interestingly, Sigfried chooses to solve the problem of the smelling socks in an equally fun way.
The author beautifully combines both illustration and photos in an exciting and practical way. The catchy rhymes throughout the book lead the reader through the smelly things Sigfried talks about. I suspect that the use of these rhyming words is a genius attempt to assist young readers in discovering words that rhyme, and to spur their creative minds to produce such words too. This will particularly be a delight for them, as they will be taken on an adventure around Sigfried’s world.
The storyline is simple and easy for young minds to follow. The bright pictures in the book give clear insight on how the items look, and why they smell so bad (I was particularly enthused by this). The pictures also make it easy for younger readers to understand the process Sigfried went through in locating the bad smell.
I like how the author uses bright pictures and illustrations to stimulate the mind of the audience. The photos add visual interest to the pages and at the same time, teach the name of each of the items in the book. The author's use of vocabulary is appropriate for children and also very interesting for adults. All twenty-seven pages are filled with whimsical and joyful adventures for youngsters.
Overall, Sigfried’s smelly socks! is an excellent light hearted read. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There are a few different lessons that could be extracted from the book; colour recognition, vocabulary development and hygiene lessons. The fact that these lessons are presented in a charming and funny way is just amazing.
I enjoyed the book and so did my nephews. I would recommend it for young readers, and for parents who have children that are seven years and below. I also recommend it for preschool classes. It is indeed a lovely book!
******
Sigfried’s Smelly Socks!
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Cardinalsparrow's review? Post a comment saying so!
