Oscar: The Big Adventure of a Little Sock Monkey - Hardcover

K-Gr. 3. Oscar is a very small sock monkey. He lives happily with his owner, Susie, in an apartment building in a big city, which New Yorkers will recognize as their own. When absent-minded Susie takes her rabbit to school for a pet show, Oscar discovers that she has forgotten the key to its cage. He locates the school on a map and takes the subway there. There are a few distractions along the way, some pleasant (he stumbles into a bag of cupcakes) and others less so (a bully stuffs him in his pocket), but the loyal monkey perseveres. Finally, he reaches the auditorium and drops the key directly into Susie's pocket. Schwartz's pictures are full of wonderful patterns--Susie's striped socks, the bully's camouflage jacket, the subway's tiled walls--and vividly evoke city life in all its color and variety. This charmer from a noted husband-and-wife team is sure to please any child who has counted on a toy for solace, while slipping in a lesson or two about planning, determination, and affection. GraceAnne DeCandido
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