Socks: A Kid’s Christmas Lament

Rock and roller JD McPherson’s comical salute to Christmas curmudgeons hops from stage to page, making for the stocking stuffer of the season. This is the worst gift I ever got! It doesn’t beep or buzz or bop or rattle in the box! Why’d they waste the paper on a lousy pair of SOCKS? 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.