Baba's Macedonian Socks

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Grandmother knits a pair of socks each for her granddaughter and
grandson. They are many-colored and so beautiful that the children
don’t know whether to wear them or save them. They seek advice from
the Wise Old Shepherd, who, instead of answering directly, plays a song
on his flute that evokes inspiring images and leads the children to make
the right decision.

Far more than simply a picture book about whether or not to wear a pair
of socks, the thrust of this story is a cultural one, as the title
implies. The book is set in Macedonia and uses many Macedonian themes
and points of reference. Pride in their heritage is ultimately what
prompts the children to don the socks. The images conjured up by the
shepherd’s music are the figures of their grandparents when they were
young, dressed in the traditional Macedonian costume and dancing a folk
dance.

The subtheme of family love also runs strongly throughout the
narrative. The family is portrayed as demonstrative and close-knit
(despite the grandparents’ disputes concerning what they read in books
and newspapers—a nice realistic touch), and its members are physically
and verbally affectionate with each other. This universal theme prevents
the book from becoming too firmly entrenched in details pertinent to one
culture. All children will enjoy the vignettes of family life and will
read with interest the process by which the siblings come to their
decision regarding their gifts. Highly recommended.