Sock Monkey Rides Again by Cece Bell, Cece Bell (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Yee-haw! Sock Monkey lassoes a part in a singing cowboy movie — if he can only get up the nerve to kiss the leading lady.

Sock Monkey, the famous toy actor, can hardly believe his ears. He's landed the starring role in a singing cowboy movie! Now he'll get to yodel, ride a horse, lasso a cow, and — yikes! — kiss the leading lady. Sock Monkey doesn't want to kiss anyone! But it's the role of a lifetime, so the woolen thespian corrals all his friends to help him prepare. Can he resist the urge to ride into the sunset when the big moment comes? In a brilliant performance of (inadvertent) bravery in the face of panic, Sock Monkey is back — to do his fans proud.

Children's Literature

Sock Monkey is offered the part of Red Reardon in a cowboy movie called "Hubbub at the Happy Canyon Hoedown." With the help of his friends, he learns to yodel, ride a horse, and lasso a cow, and he even gets outfitted in cowboy gear. There's still one slight hitch, Sock Monkey has to kiss the leading lady, Lulu Nevada. That means he has to kiss a girl! Even his friends couldn't or wouldn't help him with the kiss rehearsal. On the day of filming, Sock Monkey's practice with his friends has paid off well, yet the moment of the big kiss arrives. The director is ready to film it right after lunch. Sock Monkey is so nervous that he can not eat a bite of his meal. Will Sock Monkey's acting career be a wash because of the kiss? The author-illustrator, Cece Bell creates expressive faces for the lovable characters showing their emotions throughout this third Sock Monkey adventure.

Martha SimpsonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2
In his third adventure, Sock Monkey, the famous toy actor, gets his big break. He's been cast to play a singing cowboy in Hubbub at the Happy Canyon Hoedown . His friends help him prepare for the part by teaching him how to yodel, ride a horse, and lasso a cow. Decked out in his sensational cowboy suit, he is almost ready when filming starts the next day. Sock Monkey aces all his scenes, but when it's time for him to kiss his leading lady, the girl-shy hero just can't do it. Poor Lulu's tears make him realize that there is only one way to apologize, and he kisses her on the cheek. "Cut! That's a wrap!" calls the director. Sock Monkey and Lulu ride off into the sunset, knowing their movie will make them stars. This lighthearted confection doesn't break any new ground, but its colorful, childlike drawings and breezy plot make it a quick, enjoyable read. Sock Monkey makes a new friend, and everybody gets along. If only real life were that simple!

Kirkus Reviews

The all-knit toy actor is back in the saddle again, riding a tide of bit parts to a starring role as a singing cowboy. Unfortunately, the gig includes kissing the leading lady, and though Sock Monkey can get coaching from his friends in yodeling, lassoing and horseback riding, he's on his own for the smooch. Bell digitally mixes simple shapes and swatches of fabric into flat-looking cartoon illustrations, outfitting Sock Monkey in appropriate cowboy gear and setting him up on the set of El Rancho Socko with opposite number Lulu Nevada-a bug-like wind-up toy who bursts into tears when, after acing all of his earlier scenes, he quails in the clutch. At his friends' urging, though, he gives it another go, and one chaste peck on the cheek later it's a wrap, with the two riding off into the sunset together. Happy trails to them, and to all readers with the stomach for such relentless, intense cuteness. (Picture book. 5-8)

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