Super Socks – Book Review

Book Review
Super Socks
Written by Connie Bowman
Illustrated by Kelly O'Neill
Published October 15, 2019

Son's Review
(Age: 4 and 1/2)
On the book in general:
It's about super socks. I liked it. So like there is two sisters. There are some things that Katie likes that she calls "Super Socks." They are mis-matched socks, not matching socks. Well there is a guy that is Molly's friend, and he is name Billy Sanders, and he's not really nice.

On wearing Super Socks:
I would wear Super Socks when I read that book.

On Billy's mean words:
I don't think he's really nice because he plays some jokes that aren't really funny, where not everybody laughs, so I think that's not really nice of him.

On the ending with Billy:
I like the end because at the end they're all friends.

On the best part of Super Socks:
The starting because like it tells you that you're gonna hear a secret.

On how feelings while reading:
Good. I liked the whole book.

Mom's Review
Super Socks focuses on Molly, whose little sister, Katie, has Down syndrome. Each day, Katie picks out "super socks" for herself and for Molly. These are mismatched socks that bond the girls and act as a concrete reminder of the love they share. When people react negatively to seeing Katie's disability, Molly is able to keep calm by imagining bravery seeping out of the socks into her body. This often helps her ignore the bully in math class, Billy. One day, Molly, Katie, and Billy meet by chance at the ice cream truck. Billy snidely says, "Love your socks, Molly." Katie does not pick up on the teasing and proudly says, "I picked them! I picked them!" Molly calmly takes Katie to go eat their ice cream; her socks helped her keep her cool. The next day at school, Billy shows Molly his own super socks. Now that he understands their origins, he can appreciate them too.

I have a somewhat mixed response to Super Socks. There is a dearth of picture books featuring disabled characters. I think most people can agree that we need better representation, which this book accomplishes, though with one noticeable omission. Super Socks emphasizes that differences are to be celebrated, underscoring the value of individuality, of which one's disability is a part. The message is clear: disabilities are not bad. They just are. Katie could be any little sister. Sometimes T wants mismatched socks or inside out clothes just because. Katie's behavior is not particularly unusual. Katie's similarity to "regular" kids is my praise and also my criticism. She has Down syndrome, but she doesn't look like it. Without the easily identifiable physical traits, she really could be any kid. An opportunity has been lost by not depicting Katie more realistically. Down syndrome seems pretty common, as far as disabilities go, and I would have liked to know of Katie's disability just from looking at the pictures. I must acknowledge though, that the illustrations are cartoonlike, which could lead critics from a different perspective to say, "O'Neill caricatured a child with Down syndrome." It's a fine line to walk. But overall, Super Socks helps fill the void that is books with disabled characters. (I don't count some kid in a wheelchair in a corner of the background. That's just decoration.)

Special sibs would be an ideal audience for Super Socks; they will be able to identify with Molly's feelings and experiences. They will see variations of their own lives in a book not specially marketed to the "special" community. That said, I am firmly in the "read your world" camp. All kids can appreciate the story of Super Socks.

Why we chose this book:
We enjoyed There's an Elephant in my Bathtub by this same team. When we were invited to review Super Socks, we were interested. Not only had we enjoyed the stuffed animal book, but this one was to be about a girl and her disabled sibling, a topic that has a special place in my heart. We received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.