"There Are Rocks in My Socks!" Said the Ox to the Fox

by Patricia Thomas, Mordicai Gerstein (Illustrator)

An ox gets himself into ridiculous situations made worse when he listens to the advice of his friend the fox.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Humor

37 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Patricia Thomas was the author of several picture books, including Firefly Mountain; “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!”; “There are Rocks in My Socks,” Said the Ox to the Fox; and The One-and-Only, Super-Duper, Golly-Whopper, Jim-Dandy, Really Handy Clock Tock Stopper. She taught writing for children at Marywood University and at the Institute for Children’s Literature. Thomas passed away in 2021.

Reviews

[Nola Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover – or its title – but what else can you do when you find a book called _”There Are Rocks in My Socks!” said the Ox to the Fox”_? It only takes a smidgen of intelligence to realize that you have found an excellent children’s book with some highly enjoyable rhymes, and Patricia Thomas’ story does not disappoint!

The story line is very simple – the poor ox has rocks in his socks (bet you wouldn’t have guessed that!) and can’t figure out how to get rid of them. His friend, the fox, makes several rather ludicrous (which equals insanely humorous) suggestions, starting with doing a summersault and shaking the rocks loose. This leads to a worse situation…and things just go downhill from there. Finally, the woebegone ox is rescued from his friend’s crazy suggestions by the arrival of a bird, whose final solution for relief is far simpler.

Mordicai Gerstein’s illustrations are equally amusing. The pictures of the characters are interesting when they are having a discussion, but as he portrays the ox following the fox’s ideas, the drawings become even funnier. My three year old had quite a lot of fun laughing at the pictures before I even started reading!

This is also an excellent book for engaging children and providing opportunities for critical thinking. “How do you think the ox should get the rocks out?” I asked my son early on. He thought it was awesome when the bird later suggested his idea. “What do you think will happen when he does this?” I asked. The story also gave him some opportunities to identify rhyming words – in addition to the rock/sock conundrum, there is also the tack/back problem, the rail/tail challenge, and of course, the bee/knee difficulty. These all made my son laugh, but they also made him yell out, “Hey, those rhyme!”

Like all good children’s books, Patricia Thomas’ uses repetition throughout, adding to the growing list of oxen trauma. This gave my son a chance to chant them with me, and to enjoy the fact that he can “read” – which, of course, made him want to re-read. And re-read.

Although Thomas’ book, _”There Are Rocks in My Socks!” Said the Ox to the Fox”_, is more than a mouthful to say, it is a lot of fun to read. Parents and children alike will giggle over this hilarious bit of storytime.

[Fergie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My very first book that I can remember reading. To this day, it is one of my favorite reads! Reads like a good Dr. Seuss book; timeless and fun.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books to read when I was a little kid. I loved how it rhymed and I loved the illustrations. I ran across it and had to re-read it...nostalgia.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and loved the rhyming!

[Jessica Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the very best silly rhyming books 😍 it’s one of the only books I remember being read from my early childhood, it was on repeat for my own boys in their early childhood, and now I read it to all the victims, I mean young children, in my life.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books that when I was growing up wasn't quite a hit but that was more or less due to the illustrations. The idea is interesting in how the story comes out, the simplicity of the answer and also the interesting situation that the Ox gets into while it will remind many readers of an alternative Dr. Seuss book.

The book mostly rhymes and in the spots that it doesn't it is either since the sentence was made too long or the author is repeating themselves on a word. As a result of the rhyming, though, the story has quite interesting plot twists although wherever he found a tack just baffles me.

The other thing that catches me wanting to leer away from this book is illustrations as I am no fan of them. The fox is the most naturally looking one of the bunch while the bull looks bloated and the bird is just creepy. And what about the... nevermind I will leave that one to future readers. Imagination-wise though I love the sun in all the pages as he watches from up in the sky - his faces help to bring a bit of comedy relief for the reader as well as the first few pages that keeps reminding readers that the rocks are still there.

An older book this one still may reach children audiences but I am not quite sure who would willingly look for a copy to share with the younger generations unless they already have it.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Patricia Thomas has crafted a clever, funny kid's book obviously inspired by the rhymes of Dr Seuss. An ox has trouble getting rocks out of his socks, so he decides to ask his buddy the fox to help him out, since foxes are high in the IQ, and oxen, eh, they're the exact opposite of. Fox takes advantage of this and get Ox to try flipping about to loosen his shoes and socks. Of course, hilarity ensues when poor Ox is flat on his backside with a rail in his tail, a bee on his knee and God knows what else is poking his butt. It takes a passerby bird to set things right for Fox and Ox. Clever, hilarious and fun for all ages.
Four stars
Fox and Ox are why this book rocks!

[Amy T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with this book and repeatedly read it as a child. Even as an adult, the writing and illustrations continue to capture my imagination; the verses are catchy and the pictures are delightfully silly yet extremely sophisticated in their rendering. This is an ideal book for any child, one that can easily become a beloved item of childhood while standing the test of time. Rocks is just as much fun to read today as it was during its first publication back in 1979. Perfect for reading at bedtime, it's the kind of book your child will request again and again.

[Robiya Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite picture books as a child. I remember receiving a copy of it through a weekly reader program my parents signed me up for. It's a fun book with lots of rhymes and comical pictures. I loved seeing the different expressions of the sun throughout the book, and the absurd suggestions that the fox suggested to the ox in order to solve his problem.

[Brishabh Shukla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived in Canada but bought this book as a gift for a couple to start a library for their newborn. I would get this book from the library repeatedly to read to my children. It is humorous. It has rhymes throughout. A great book. I cannot promote it enough. I did not know that I could find it but thank you Goodreads.

[Saad ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

There Are Rocks in My Socks!" Said the Ox to the Fox" is a delightful and whimsical children's book. With charming illustrations and a clever storyline, it's a fun read for kids and parents alike, teaching valuable lessons about problem-solving and friendship. Highly recommended for bedtime storytelling chief

[Adrienne Blaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustration style of the late 70s to early 80s was a bit scruffy and strange, but I do love it. Mordicai Gerstein’s illustrations here give a distinct pen and ink nib scratch impression. The writing by Patricia Thomas seems like it would be fun to read aloud since it rhymes and has onomatopoeia. The lesson I took from the story is to be wary of self-proclaimed experts.

[Robertidexy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutest book ever and a good lesson in it as well. Never take advice from strangers it could get you in a lot of trouble! My daughter loved this book. She is 43 years old now and we purchased this book from the weekly reader book club when she was three. It’s an oldie but a goodie!

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the original 1979 copy of this book and my son found it tonight and let me read it to him aloud. We were giggling at the silly pictures and Dr Seuss-like rhymes. Still as much fun as it was when I was a kid!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my childhood favorites!

[Syntha Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really funny and a lovely tongue twister to read (like Fox in Socks)

[Kelvinfox · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, we clearly love Patricia Thomas in this household. The kids get a kick out of the rhyming and funny situations and the parents get an enjoyable night time read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny book with rhymes and logic! Another childhood favorite!

[Leah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4yo daughter liked this book. Good rhymes and illustrations.

[Heather Ridens]

How can I rate it? I haven't read it yet .

[Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children loved this book when they were small. Their grandmother often read it to them and they all smiled.

[Marigold Cadence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish all the pictures were colored. I have the ©️ 1979 edition.

[Shannon Elmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a favorite of mine since I was tiny. I am now 45 and still giggle through it while reading it to my grandbabies

[Nancyshriver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at a used book store for my daughter when we were on vacation many years ago. I think I loved it as much as she did. She recently found it while she was sorting through things that she has stored at our house and I still like it just as much!

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first books I remember reading as a child with a problem solving theme. The x-ray view of the inside of the shoe at the beginning of the book provides a clear and detailed illustration of the main problem: the poor, large ox has a number of painful rocks stuck inside his sock/shoe. A "helpful" fox tries to remedy the situation with various suggestions but only compounds the painful problem with his expert advice.

This memorable book with its hilarious, rhyming text is probably best read in a one-to-one setting so that the reader can clearly see all the accompanying illustrations.

Some of the rhyming families incorporated in the text include: -ock, -ox, -ink, -ip, -op, -ack, -ail, -ight, -ee, -ump.

[Linda Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy rhyming batman!! This book is great... there are so many rhyming words it makes you dizzy! The ox wants the help of the fox to get the rocks out of his socks. The ox gets a tack in his back... you see where this is going! The bird finally comes to the ox's rescue! Kids would find this so funny.