Customer Reviews

Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident (Sock Monkey (Graphic Novels))

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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I've read all of Mr. Millionaire's work, and recommend it to friends with precautionary statements depending on which ones they want - Maakies will double some people over with laughter and fill others with disgust, for example. The Sock Monkey tales hurt me in a subtle way the same way Velveteen Rabbit hurt me; I've had to go fish toys out of my neighbor's trash cans in the middle of the night because of it. "The Inches Incident" validates my belief in the subtle souls of certain toys, no matter what their condition. Captain Oyster says it best at the end - but I won't spoil it for you. More philosophy than that book with the Tin Man, and graphics that will hit you like a repeating brass nine pounder - go buy this one. Send it anonymously to that flustered looking hippie girl in the mail department. Give it to your Grandfather who was in the Navy to read to your kids. And keep a copy for yourself on your "inspiration" bookshelf. You won't be sorry.

You have to appreciate Tony Millionaire's sense of humor and story telling to really appreciate his books, but in any case, the artwork is astonishing. My daughter and I appreciated it from different perspectives.

After discovering Tony Millionaire by accident, I bought this book first, since it was available at a little retail comic store near where I lived. I've never read comics though. The drawing here is so interesting and detailed that you can delight in the artwork alone. But the scenes are bizarre and imaginative and manic in their pace. After combing through a few pages I decided it was safe to introduce to my 8 year old daughter, who happens to like slightly twisted stuff. Well, she LOVES this book. We had a great time reading through it together, laughing at the situations and marvelling at the world created in the drawing.

Something has gotten into poor adorable "inches", and she has cast her friends into the sea. Our story begins with Sock Monkey and Mr. Crow attempting their escape from a ship sailed by Oyster Joe. If the first few frames of this don't draw you in and crack you up, then just keep going. The scenes with "giant skunk", "live racoon", and "panda" had my girl in tears. Oyster Joe sailing a piano off to sea while playing and singing, (as if this were just another day at sea), is taken in stride, as are the fragments of dear "inches" that heroically remain at the end of the story. What!?

To me, this stuff is really special because it's weird and beautiful and still safe and funny for a little kid. I don't know whether Mr. Millionaire had kids in mind, but to me, this is (among other things) a kids book like no other! I love it too; this book is a home run!