Claude is a sweet little dog who wears a beret and whose best friend is a sock called Sir Bobblysock. They live with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes, and when Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes go out, Claude and Sir Bobblysock go out and have their own adventures which, in this book, involve capturing a thief in an art gallery and solving a medical mystery in the local hospital. Claude, who reminds me a little bit of Snoopy, is very endearing and it’s amazing how much personality an old sock can have!
I loved everything about this book. As soon as I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read it, and it didn’t disappoint me. The story is fun, a little bit wacky but not in a distracting way. It’s simple enough for older pre-schoolers to enjoy as a shared book, silly enough for older children who can read it for themselves, and has enough going on for grown-ups to enjoy too. The illustrations work perfectly with the text. They have a retro feel, with the humans in the books styled in what feels like 1950′s/1960′s garb. The colouring is very simple, just shades of black, white and red, but it’s very effective.
Read the rest of my review for The Bookbag.
