Review by diana lowery -- Sock Lobsters by Michelle Bulriss

[Diana Lowery]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Sock Lobsters" by Michelle Bulriss.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Beach colors on the cover of Sock Lobsters evoke happy memories of seaside days. The magical socks on the cover have animated facial expressions, but they don't appear to be very practical for wearing, This detail adds a bit of whimsy to the story. Author Michelle Bulriss has woven a lesson on dealing with grief into a delightful tale about a pair of sock friends. Because the author is an advocate for mental health and emotional intelligence, she is qualified to write on this subject. The fact that the author and the illustrator are the same person is a major enticement for me.

The text and the pictures work together to convey more than information. Ms. Bulriss has crafted illustrations that give the book a graphic novel feel. One example is the realistic post office building, and another is the Lobster Shack, which looks exactly like a Red Lobster restaurant. Symbolism appears when Sebastian, the pessimistic sock, is introduced on a black background while Lola, the optimistic sock, appears on a rainbow background.

The subtle use of colors as a literary device continues throughout the book. The text pages for the five stages of grief are shown on dark backgrounds, and the word for each step is shown in the upper right corner. This system serves as a guideline for adults as they read the book with children. These pages coincide with the saga of Sebastian and Lola and explain the progress of each step. On page 26, the beach colors return on a Home Sweet Home page, and as the story concludes, the rainbow background reappears.

This children's book is exceptionally edited. I did not find any errors in the story. I like the idea of introducing children to the stages of grief in such a friendly way. I only found one negative thing about the book; there was a puzzling picture on page 23. It is a side view of Bubbles, the heroic cat, on a grass background. It interrupted my reading while I tried to determine its purpose.

I recommend this book to parents, educators, and counselors as they deal with young children who are facing difficult situations in their lives. Discussing ways to overcome grief is essential for all ages, and this cute story of two sock friends who deal with loss is a perfect way to approach that topic. My score for this book is 4 out of 4. It is helpful and entertaining. If you love the book, you can even purchase some Sebastian lobster socks that are practical for wearing. There is no guarantee that the socks will talk to you, but the slogan is perfect, "Socks that care: We hold empathy close to the sole."

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Sock Lobsters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

[El wamerni Mohamed]

The cover of "Sock Lobsters" evokes happy memories of beach days with its beach colors. The magical socks on the cover have animated facial expressions, adding a whimsical touch to the story. Author Michelle Boulrice weaves a lesson about dealing with sadness in a delightful tale about a pair of friends. Because the author is an advocate for mental health and emotional intelligence, she is well-qualified to address this topic. The fact that the author and illustrator are the same person is a big draw for me.

The text and illustrations work together to convey more than just a story. Mrs. Boulrice has designed illustrations that give the book a graphic novel vibe. For example, the real-life post office building and the Lobster Shack restaurant look exactly like a Red Lobster restaurant. Symbolism is present when the pessimistic sock Sebastian is presented against a black background while the optimistic sock Lola is shown against a rainbow background.

The precise use of colors as a literary device is evident throughout the book. Text pages depicting the five stages of grief appear on dark backgrounds, with each stage word displayed in the upper right corner. This system serves as a guide for adults reading the book with children. These pages coincide with Sebastian and Lola's epic and explain the progress made at each stage. On page 26, beach colors return to the "Home Sweet Home" page, and as the story concludes, the rainbow background appears once again.

This children's book has been exceptionally edited. No errors were found in the story. I appreciate the idea of introducing children to the stages of grief in a friendly manner. I found only one puzzling picture on page 23. It's a side view of the heroic cat "Bubbles" against a grassy background. It interrupted my reading as I tried to figure out its purpose.

I recommend this book to parents, teachers, and counselors dealing with young children facing tough situations in their lives. Discussing ways to overcome sadness is essential for all ages, and this delightful tale of two friends dealing with loss is a perfect way to address this topic. This wonderful story deserves high praise, and my rating for it is 4 out of 4. It's informative and entertaining. If you enjoy the book, you may also want to purchase some practical Sebastian socks to wear. There's no guarantee that the socks will speak to you, but the slogan is perfect, "Socks that care: we hold compassion close to the sole."

[Henry Omondi 1]

Grief is inevitable in this life and the book provides the tools to tackles such issues in our children's life. It gives the need perspective to parents and educators.