One Red Sock

Written and Illustrated by: Jennifer Sattler
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: August 2019
ISBN: 978-1534110267
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: June 11, 2019

We've all been there - searching for the missing mate for one of our socks. For one little hippo, finding the match to her red sock turns into an delightful story about learning that it's okay to be less than perfect.

A little purple hippo is in her room, getting dressed so she can go out and about her day. Sitting in a big pink chair in her room, with walls that are covered in polka dots, the adorable hippo has one red sock on one foot. Unfortunately, her other foot is sock-less because she can't find the matching red sock.

"It looks funny this way.
This just will not do."
So she put on another sock.
This one was...blue!

And so it goes, as the hippo tries on sock after sock. Will she ever find her missing red sock? And if she can't find it, what will she do? Surely she can't go outside with mismatched socks - or can she?

One Red Sock is a fun story about an adorable hippo who tries her best, with a smile on her face throughout the story. It has a happy ending, one in which the little hippo realizes that not everything has to be absolutely perfect. The author, who is also the illustrator of this charming story, has created a lovable character in her purple hippo, with perfect facial expressions that help tell the story. The text is short, just a few sentences of rhyme per two-page, alternating with a two-page spread with one word - the color of the next sock the hippo finds. Not just a good story to learn some colors, the story also, and primarily, tells of how worrying about being perfect may not be the best solution to a missing sock.

Quill says: Simply adorable. Enjoy!