Claude on the Slopes

September 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Children who have yet to discover Claude, the small, plump dog with the nifty red beret, and his sidekick, Sir Bobblysock (who is both a sock and quite bobbly), are in for a delight. Claude and Sir Bobblysock have had previous adventures in the city, at the circus, and at the beach, but when they venture into a winter wonderland, mayhem and hilarity ensues. Smith has created whimsical characters with verve, and the dynamic duo manage to get themselves into and out of tricky situations on the slopes, culminating in a treacherous avalanche. The feel of the series is distinctly retro, with black-and-white duotoned digital artwork accented with shades of gray, red, and pink. The delightful illustrations are plentiful and somewhat cartoonlike, with Claude's eyebrows floating above his head and Sir Bobblysock wearing earmuffs. The short chapters will keep young readers giggling and rooting for the dog with the giant nose and his unlikely best friend.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
It's difficult to describe the Claude books without using the word surreal. The new book in the series may be the sweetest surrealist children's book ever published. Claude's best friend is a sock. Sir Bobblysock is very nattily dressed, and Smith gets a lot of mileage out of one joke, putting the sock in ever more absurd outfits. Sir Bobblysock wears pajamas, then earmuffs, and there's a reference to a "glitzy leotard" he puts on before aerobics class. Most of the humor in the book comes from one basic premise: This would never, ever happen in real life. Sometimes the joke works. It's very funny when a girl suggests Claude use a tea tray as a sled, and readers learn that "He always kept one in his beret-with a full tea set just in case there was a tea-based emergency." It's less funny to read about Sir Bobblysock's bunion and his session in a heated foot spa. Instead of laughing, kids may say, "What's a bunion?" or, "That would never, ever happen in real life." Much too often, the book is perplexing instead of amusing. But there's no denying that Claude is sweet and charming, and Sir Bobblysock looks fantastic in his checkered nightcap. In the end, it's hard not to love a main character who wears a one-man-band outfit to the library, in case he finds a very exciting book. (Fiction. 7-9)

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