Socks: A Kid’s Christmas Lament
Age 3+
Picture Storybooks
Rock and roller JD McPherson’s comical salute to Christmas curmudgeons hops from stage to page, making for the stocking stuffer of the season.
It’s the dawn of Christmas morning, and this child can no longer wait, furtively tiptoeing straight to the unlit Christmas tree. There lies a festive box, brightly wrapped, with their name on it. A shake for good measure, and then . . . wait, seriously? What did they ever do to deserve this? Based on the cult classic “Socks” (from his eponymous Christmas album), bluesy rock and roller JD McPherson pays hilarious homage to a stereotypically bad gift—and its disappointed recipients—in a deftly extended picture-book version of his song. Brought to energetic life in droll, retro artwork by Anika Orrock, who illustrated the album cover and liner, Socks will prove a perfect fit for anyone who has ever gotten stressed over holiday gift-giving—and everyone, big or small, who’s come to appreciate the love wrapped up in even the humblest present. Includes a QR code to the “Socks” song.
Creators
JD McPherson is an acclaimed roots rocker and songwriter whose Christmas album, Socks, was dubbed by Rolling Stone a “no schmaltz” classic. This is his picture-book debut. JD McPherson lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Anika Orrock is an award-winning illustrator, author, and cartoonist. Her work has been featured on NPR and in the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, and the Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition. She also proudly created the illustrations for Socks, the original 2018 Christmas album by JD McPherson and his band. Anika Orrock loves Christmastime and will cross any street to pet a dog. She lives in Nashville.
Reviews
The perfect holiday read for a snowy night. Don’t forget the hot cocoa, cookies, and a very cozy pair of SOCKS!
Andrea Beaty, author of the New York Times best-selling Questioneers books
It’s not inconceivable that JD’s song, here teamed with Anika Orrock’s brilliant illustrations, is so groovy that parents, on reading their kids’ letters to Santa, will start to see ‘and a pair of argyles, please’ at the bottom.
singer-songwriter Nick Lowe
Hilarious holiday hijinks that hew closer to naughty than to nice.
Kirkus Reviews
Songwriter JD McPherson worked with Anika Orrock to craft this fun holiday read about gift-list expectations. A little kid who sneaks down the stairs early Christmas morning launches into a funny rant when he discovers socks. But as the sun comes up and he notices his family gathering around the tree, he sees that maybe socks make a great gift after all.
Los Angeles Times
This is definitely a Christmas story with a difference – both in theme and presentation – a print version of the song of the same name, and includes a QR code that allows the reader to listen as they read. But rather than just the audio of the original, this has visual interest with illustrations that depict the boy’s frustrations perfectly, with a variety of techniques used that express his frustration and add depth to the words. Unlike the song though, this takes the story a few steps further and there is a happier ending than a grumpy, ungrateful kid.
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