THE LADY WITH TWO DIFFERENT SOCKS

A mysterious woman with an odd fashion sense marches to the beat of her own drum in Bednyak’s picture book.

In an unnamed locale, a lady with two different socks stands out: “One sock was pulled high and covered with stars. The other was short with silver guitars.” Not only are her socks unusual, but her shoes don’t match, either. Concerned townspeople—depicted by Lin in neutral brown, gray, and white shades—soon realize that each of her clothing items is mismatched and wild. Her colorful coat has two different lengths and sleeve patterns, her pantlegs differ, and she wears a lively floral hat. The local, unnamed child narrating the story sits next to her on the bus, fascinated, and notes that the lady is confident, kind, and caring, and thus beautiful. Bednyak tells the story with a Dr. Seuss–like rhyming lilt and repeating phrases about the socks that help to emphasize the townspeople’s awe. Still, the story’s message about different kinds of beauty would’ve been stronger if the locals’ judgments explicitly went beyond mere shock. Lin’s vintage-style, cartoon illustrations highlight the impact of the lady adding color, and thus joy, to the world with acts of kindness. The lady and narrator are depicted with pale skin, and other characters have a range of skin tones.

A simple, memorable story about daring to be different.