30 June 2010 SOCKSQUATCH by Frank W. Dormer, Henry Holt, September 2010, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-8050-8952-3

"Sock it to me

Sock it to me

Sock it to me

Sock it to me"

-- Aretha Franklin, "Respect"

"Flowers tremble.  Trees quake.  Socksquatch lumbers."

The other morning, while in Washington, D.C. for the American Library Association convention, I had the pleasure of attending a breakfast presentation hosted by my friends at Henry Holt.  Editors and a number of librarians in attendance took turns giving presentations about many of the children's and young adult books that Holt will be publishing for the fall season. 

I am sure that many of the books presented are quite wonderful; I will be taking a look at them in the coming months. 

Leaving the breakfast, I was a bit perplexed by something; but I realized this morning that what I first considered a bewildering oversight (not presenting this book) was merely my failure to recognize that I was the only third grade boy in attendance at that breakfast, and that it is me and my Captain Underpants comrades who will find SOCKSQUATCH by Frank W. Dormer to be one of the crowning achievements of the entire Fall 2010 output of children's publishing in America.

"Socksquatch searches.  'Got sock?  Foot cold."

I do wish that I knew the name and email address of the lady librarian I almost knocked over in my haste at the end of the presentations when it was announced that we could help ourselves to the advance reader's copies displayed in a corner of the room.  I would love to apologize to her.  But having already read it several times, there was no way in hell I was going to let someone beat me to that one precious advance copy of SOCKSQUATCH. 

SOCKSQUATCH is a sad, sad picture book story with a happy ending about a monster with a cold foot.

"S-O-O-O-C-K"

After failing to get what he needs from the werewolf named Wayne (who only has fur); and after tripping over the sock that is much too long which he acquires from the guy with the long green head named Frank; Socksquatch is in tears.  His plaintive cry is heard by a mummy named Martin who just so happens to have a damsel under his arm.  Fortunately for Socksquatch, the damsel is delighted to share one of her socks with him and -- for the moment -- the world is a happy place.

Now, if only I could get them to send me a little Socksquatch puppet, I'd be set, too...

(BTW, SOCKSQUATCH would be a great book for introducing young students to a book's copyright page.  It is there that we find that this book is dedicated "to SOCKRATEEZ, finder of lost socks.")

Richie Partington, MLIS
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