Great Kid Read: Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood

In Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood:  A Star is Bathed, the adorable and nostalgic Sock Monkey is reinvented as a modern day character AND a famous actor!  Written and illustrated by Cece Bell, this story is funny, endearing and a great read for both kids and parents. When Sock Monkey is nominated for an Oswald Award for the Best Supporting Toy in a Motion Picture, he is completely excited.  That is, until he reads the fine print:

Nominees Must Be Clean

It appears that Sock Monkey has been busy over the years and has never taken a bath.  NEVER.  The story tells of Sock Monkey’s journey to cleanliness by traveling to exotic locations with his friends Miss Bunn, Froggie and Blue Pig by his side.  Once clean, we follow him to the Oswald Awards where he’s up against some stiff competition including Teddy Bear, Jack-in-the-Box and Baby Doll.

I love a lot of things about this book–for starters the fact that Sock Monkey gets clean (if you have kids that don’t want to take a bath, you’ll understand).  I also like that Sock Monkey overcomes his fears and by doing so gets to have a once in a lifetime experience.  The ending is a great surprise and teaches a valuable lesson about losing and winning.  Cece Bell’s narrative is modern, clever and hilarious — especially when the characters chime in.  When I’ve read this with kids, they think it’s funny that Sock Monkey has never taken a bath and love to see what happens at the Oswald Awards.

Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood:  A Star is Bathed was Cece Bell’s first book.  There are a few other Sock Monkey stories that followed, including Sock Monkey in the Spotlight and Sock Monkey Rides Again.

Perfect for boys and girls, 4 years and older.