Book Review: Jocelyn's Box of Socks

I am a huge lover of children's books. It's no secret. I've been collecting them since I was a teenager. Working for Highlights for Children and Boyds Mills Press was a dream come true. Me surrounded by kids' books? Game on.

So recently I noticed that the wife of a friend (from long ago) had a children's book coming out this month, and I approached her about reviewing it on here. I think it's quite an honor to promote a fellow writer, and I plan to make these reviews a regular part of my blog.

Without further ado...

Jocelyn's Box of Socks
Written by Kristen L. Jackson
Illustrated by Tino Santanach

From the first look, Jocelyn's Box of Socks is full of cheer. The cover is bright and pink, and the illustrations are fun and cartoon-like.

To me, it was all kinds of happy before I even opened the cover.

The beauty of children's books is their appeal to multiple audiences. A good book in this genre will offer an engaging story for children with enough substance for teachers/parents/grandparents/librarians to be able to use it for teaching a lesson or discussing a value or something similar. No preaching. Many kids learn best from mimicking what they see/hear demonstrated around them. It gives them a "this is what to do" kind of lesson without just saying "don't do this."

In Jocelyn's Box of Socks, we learn from the very beginning (even in the title) that the main character, Jocelyn, loves socks. She "loves all kinds of socks -- except boring, dull, plain old ordinary, all-white socks." The reader finds out she wears them in all seasons and with all kinds of shoes. She wears them because they make her feel happy.

Then one day, Jocelyn receives a box of socks from her grandparents. Since they know that she loves socks of all kinds, they send her a box of socks with different smiley emojis on them. Each pair is a different smiley emotion. Jocelyn is instantly in love and, after (unsuccessfully) trying to wear them all, she has to decide how to choose which ones to wear. She makes the decision to wear the socks that match her mood, starting with the happy faces. After a series of events in which she has to continually change her socks to match her current mood, she feels confused and frustrated as to what to do. She consults her brother with her quandary, and he suggests that she just wear the socks that she wants to, no matter what mood she feels. She loves this idea and even sees that she can mix and match her socks no matter what her mood because wearing socks makes her happy.

The book has a lot of positives beyond the story and pictures. The underlying theme of talking about emotions and how they can change is a gift to teachers, especially of younger kids who may not be able to verbalize about feelings just yet. The cadence and repetition of the kinds of socks Jocelyn likes furthers the fun and encourages kids to join in.

All in all, Jocelyn's Box of Socks is a fun and bouncy book that opens discussions about how we all have emotions -- big and small, good and bad — and they can change quickly. A bonus classroom guide is included in the back with discussion questions and activity suggestions.

Release date is May 28.



Enjoy!!