Review by Jsovermyer -- Sock Lobsters by Michelle Bulriss
Posted: 21 Apr 2021, 12:05
[Following is a volunteer review of "Sock Lobsters" by Michelle Bulriss.]
Sock Lobsters, written and illustrated by Michelle Bulriss, is a delightful children’s story about magical socks shaped like lobsters. Grandma had some special red yarn and decided to knit a present for her granddaughter, Emily. Grandma made socks in the shape of lobsters, and the love she put into her knitting made the socks come to life. Sebastian, the left sock, only saw the negative side of life and was always grumbling. Lola, the right sock, saw everything bright, shiny, and full of rainbows. She was always happy. Although they saw life differently, they were the best of friends. When Lola is lost on the trip to the laundromat, Sebastian is heartbroken and goes through the five stages of grief. Will Lola be found and get back home? Will Sebastian ever see his friend again?
The book’s illustrations are outstanding. Although a fantasy story with talking sock lobsters, the people are realistically drawn. Grandma looks like a typical gray-haired lady, and Emily is a lovely young woman. Sebastian and Lola are the cutest, and I fell in love with them from the beginning of the book. The last character in the story is Bubbles, the cat with large soulful eyes, named after the author’s own pet. The city streets, the Lobster Shack, and Emily’s neighborhood are so skillfully drawn they look like photographs.
This story is an effective way to teach children about grief. Sebastian goes through denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. Children can see these emotions are normal and acceptable ways to handle their grief. It will comfort them if they are sad and help them to be understanding and sympathetic to others who are grieving.
I loved this strange and unique story, and the ending was a complete surprise. There was nothing I disliked about it. The book has been professionally edited as I found no spelling or grammatical errors. Beginning readers should be able to handle the easy vocabulary, and younger children will love hearing the story read aloud. I recommend this book to all children ages two to six years, and even to some adults. It has no profanity or slang, and the frightening situation is quickly and happily resolved.
I can’t say enough good things about this book. With the compelling plot, quirky characters, and error-free text, this story deserves a perfect score. I am awarding Sock Lobsters by Michelle Bulriss 4 out of 4 stars. Hopefully, we will see more from this talented writer.
******
Sock Lobsters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Sock Lobsters, written and illustrated by Michelle Bulriss, is a delightful children’s story about magical socks shaped like lobsters. Grandma had some special red yarn and decided to knit a present for her granddaughter, Emily. Grandma made socks in the shape of lobsters, and the love she put into her knitting made the socks come to life. Sebastian, the left sock, only saw the negative side of life and was always grumbling. Lola, the right sock, saw everything bright, shiny, and full of rainbows. She was always happy. Although they saw life differently, they were the best of friends. When Lola is lost on the trip to the laundromat, Sebastian is heartbroken and goes through the five stages of grief. Will Lola be found and get back home? Will Sebastian ever see his friend again?
The book’s illustrations are outstanding. Although a fantasy story with talking sock lobsters, the people are realistically drawn. Grandma looks like a typical gray-haired lady, and Emily is a lovely young woman. Sebastian and Lola are the cutest, and I fell in love with them from the beginning of the book. The last character in the story is Bubbles, the cat with large soulful eyes, named after the author’s own pet. The city streets, the Lobster Shack, and Emily’s neighborhood are so skillfully drawn they look like photographs.
This story is an effective way to teach children about grief. Sebastian goes through denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. Children can see these emotions are normal and acceptable ways to handle their grief. It will comfort them if they are sad and help them to be understanding and sympathetic to others who are grieving.
I loved this strange and unique story, and the ending was a complete surprise. There was nothing I disliked about it. The book has been professionally edited as I found no spelling or grammatical errors. Beginning readers should be able to handle the easy vocabulary, and younger children will love hearing the story read aloud. I recommend this book to all children ages two to six years, and even to some adults. It has no profanity or slang, and the frightening situation is quickly and happily resolved.
I can’t say enough good things about this book. With the compelling plot, quirky characters, and error-free text, this story deserves a perfect score. I am awarding Sock Lobsters by Michelle Bulriss 4 out of 4 stars. Hopefully, we will see more from this talented writer.
******
Sock Lobsters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes