SOCKFLEA

Parental ingenuity saves the day once more.

The young elephant who narrates this story is thrilled: “We are going camping. I’ve never been before. I. CAN’T. WAIT.” The little pachyderm’s parent suggests bringing a stuffed toy along, but our hero is a worldly 5-year-old who doesn’t need a comfort object! The caregiver repeatedly asks if this is a wise choice, but the youngster blows off any concerns. At first, all goes well, and camping is a wonderful adventure, but that night things take a turn. It’s dark, the sleeping bag is sweaty, the ground is hard, and the little one cracks. The young elephant’s “WHY DIDN’T YOU MAKE ME BRING MY STUFFIES?” will feel uncomfortably familiar to many adult readers. Desperate, the grown-up presents a pair of partially balled-up socks and dubs the creation “Sockflea.” Initially skeptical, the youngster falls hard for the makeshift stuffie’s charms, and the trip is a rousing success. The book even sticks the landing with an ending in which the young one realizes with horror that the adult is now casually wearing Sockflea around the house. Droll humor abounds in Dockrill’s narration, which perfectly captures a youngster’s mentality, pairing beautifully with Byrne’s thoroughly enticing digital art. Meanwhile, emotions roll off both the little elephant and the put-upon (and fairly anxious) grown-up, with even Sockflea sporting a delightfully benign smile.

Friends are literally what you make of them in this highly amusing jaunt into the unknown.