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“A lost magical lobster sock, a range of emotions, and a kind cat are what you’ll find in this fun, colorful picture book that is bound to inspire conversations.
The story begins with an older woman who loves to knit and her magical ball of bright red yarn. She knits her granddaughter Emily a pair of enchanted lobster socks and mails them to her. Quite the opposite from one another, Sebastian sock is a pessimist and Lola sock is an optimist—still, the pair are very best friends. On the day that Emily takes them to the laundromat to be cleaned, they meet Bubbles the cat. But what started out as a good day becomes a terrible day when Lola falls out of the basket on the way home and becomes a missing sock. Emily and Sebastian are devastated—will they ever find their magical sock friend?
Author-Illustrator Michelle Bulriss has taken the familiar and jazzed it up with a magical essence that young readers will appreciate. From the loving, intergenerational relationship between grandmother and granddaughter to the mundane laundry experience that leads to a missing sock, the magical, talking lobster socks brighten the pages with joy and humor. The story provides a safe place to examine a full gamut of emotions and aids discussion with words such as denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. Sebastian’s sock-face expressions provide visual clues and help bring meaning to his intensified feelings.
Sock Lobsters is an entertaining story that is bound to be enjoyed by readers ages four and up.”
— The Children’s Book Review (www.thechildrensbookreview.com)
“I am a child therapist, and spend much of my day engrossed in the world of the child - the joy, the frustration, the sadness, the fear. Trying to understand a child's emotions, and help them metabolize their feelings, is done mostly through play and books. I am always on the look-out for children's books to help the families that I work with, which is why I was thrilled to stumble across Sock Lobsters.
Sock Lobsters is a beautiful book about magic, love, loss, and reunification. Ms. Bulriss does a wonderful job of explaining the stages of grief - a complex subject for children (and adults!) to understand. She writes in a way that children will appreciate, without being condescending or writing way over their heads. The story is rich and nuanced, and the illustrations are detailed and the perfect accompaniment to the story. I am going to recommend this book to all of the families that I work with, and will add a copy to my own library. I'd encourage you to do the same!”
— Amy Weber, LCSW, Child Therapist at Speak, Learn, & Play
“Sock Lobsters is a fun picture book story for youngsters with good reading skills and parents who look for magical stories. It tells of a ball of yarn that receives the loving attention of a knitter grandmother, who makes from it a special pair of lobster socks for her grandchild. Nonnie's efforts are truly magic, because the socks begin to come alive even before being shipped to her granddaughter.
Upon arrival at their new home, said socks immediately begin exhibiting very different personalities. While one grumbles about having to reside on stinky feet, the other springs from the box enthusiastic about the lovely day and her role in warming feet.
"Sebastian immediately saw the bad in the world and Lola saw the good. Even though they were terribly different, Sebastian and Lola were best friends." As the story line evolves, youngsters receive a fine tale of fantasy, friendship, and different perspectives about the world. This encourages them to think about their own views of life and how it affects that world's possibilities.
When tragedy strikes, the very different sock friends must each muster their unique abilities to problem-solve and survive.
Sock Lobsters is heartwarming and fun. The weave of fantasy, reflection, and adventure assures that kids from the very young to older picture book readers won't always anticipate its direction. This is a special pleasure in a world of picture book stories that often are all too predictable in outcome or plot.
The positive message of Michelle Bulriss in Sock Lobsters is a very much-needed panacea for defeat and despair, and is highly recommended reading for all ages.”
— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Two plucky lobster-shaped socks get separated in this picture book.
Emily, a light-skinned young woman, receives a pair of hand-knitted, lobster-shaped socks from her grandmother and is shocked to discover they can talk. Additionally, the anthropomorphic socks have distinct personalities. Sebastian, the left sock, is cranky while the right one, Lola, is warmhearted. Still, the two are “best friends.” Emily takes the lobsters to the laundromat, where they get washed and dried and meet a cat named Bubbles. On the way home, Lola falls out of the laundry basket. When Sebastian realizes his pal is missing, he experiences emotions like depression and anger. Finally, he feels acceptance. But then “Sebastian started thinking, ‘What would Lola do?’ Actions speak louder than words! He decided to look for her.” Lola, stranded in the street, feels scared and alone but calms herself by taking deep breaths. When Bubbles hears her cries, the feline retrieves the sock and takes her home, carrying Lola in her mouth. Lola is thrilled when she spots Emily and Sebastian hanging up “Missing” posters, indicating that they’re worried about her. The socks are relieved to be reunited.
(Although) the concept in this engaging story is humorous, Bulriss deftly emphasizes essentials ideas for youngsters, such as effectively handling emotions and building resilience. The author’s illustrations offer colorful, graphic, and cartoonlike portrayals. Most show up-close depictions of the socks’ expressive faces.
A silly but thoughtful and enjoyable tale that features quirky characters.”
“Sock Lobsters is a unique and wonderful children’s book by Michelle Bulriss. The story begins with an elderly lady knitting her adult granddaughter a pair of socks that look like lobsters. The socks are magical, and when the granddaughter receives them, she can hear them talking to her.
One sock is named Sebastian. He is a bit grouchy and tends to see the dark side of life. The other sock is named Lola, and she tends to look on the bright side. The socks like each other and Emily.
One day when Emily takes the socks to the laundromat, Lola falls out of the basket on the way home. The story discusses the stages of grief that both Lola and Sebastian go through being separated from each other. Parents don’t need to worry about the story making kids sad, though. It does have a happy ending.
I think that the author did an excellent job of illustrating the stages of grief to young readers, and adults can benefit from the story’s gentle wisdom as well. I believe that the story was professionally edited as I found no errors in the text. The pictures are bright and compelling, and the text was easy to read against the background.
I found nothing to dislike about this book. Although it is written for children, adults can find comfort and humor in it as well. We have all struggled with losses. I related to Sebastian’s feeling of self-reproach when he was asking himself how he could have failed to notice that Lola was gone, being so caught up in seeing the sights on the way home from the laundromat. I had a little rescue cat who was very dear to me, and because I was working so many hours, I failed to notice how sick he really was and ended up having to have him put to sleep. The question “how could I have failed to notice how sick he was” will be in my mind for the rest of my life.
As well as the main story and purpose of the book, there are other small touches that I appreciated. The grandmother is a realistic-looking elderly woman, not a thin and perfect idealized depiction of an older lady. She is shown as being devoted and kind. I like all the characters in the book and even found myself worrying about Lola when she got lost.
I give Sock Lobsters an enthusiastic four out of four stars. I recommend this book to everyone except for people who really hate children’s books.”
“Sock Lobsters is a story about friendship and the importance of helping each other. One of the lobster buddies becomes temporarily lost, providing an opportunity to discuss separation and safety issues with children. The book has lovely illustrations that are both realistic and whimsical.
A delightful story.”
-Dr. Deborah Dalke, Professor Emeritus of Psychology
"Too frequently our children are presented with a world of princes and princesses living life in a fairy tale where all live happily ever after. It is refreshing, and in my experience, necessary, to teach our children, from early ages, about difficult emotions and challenging experiences. “Sock Lobsters,” the book by Michelle Bulriss, provides the opportunity for children to learn about grief and loss, taking decisive action in difficult situations, and presents the options of positive and negative attitudes of the world around us. Succinctly, this provides an opportunity to learn how to effectively respond to distressing circumstances and emotions.
I believe in “Sock Lobsters” and highly recommend it to parents who want their children to be more emotionally empowered to face the challenges of life.”
-Danny McClure, D.O., Serenity Mental Health Centers