cover image A Fox Got My Socks

A Fox Got My Socks

Hilda Offen. Dutton Books, $10 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-525-44991-1

``On a sunny washing day, / my clothes flip-flapped and blew away,'' opens Offen's ( Nice Work, Little Wolf ) brief, chipper rhyme cum pantomime. Underneath a jovial, double-page illustration showing boldly-colored items of clothing sailing through the sky, a diaper-clad toddler is pictured with his arms outstretched, following instructions to ``Flap arms.'' As each article lands on a different animal (``A cat got my hat''; ``A goat got my coat''; ``Two baby llamas were in my pajamas''), the cherubic youngster is seen mimicking the actions of the amusingly clad creatures. Preschoolers will willingly do likewise, as they simultaneously listen to the lighthearted verse and simple directions, such as ``Pretend to hold up pants'' and ``Pretend to wrap scarf around your neck.'' A satisfying, double-edged romp to spark a child's imagination. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)