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Claude #1
Claude in the City
In the first book in this adorable new early chapter book series, Claude and his best friend, Sir Bobblysock (who is both a sock and very bobbly), go to the city for the very first time. They have tea in a caf, go shopping, and visit a museum. Its a delightful but ordinary day, until Claude accidentally foils a robbery, then heals a whole waiting room full of patients.
94 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2011
14 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Alex T. Smith
114 books87 followersAlex T. Smith is the creator of the much-loved and bestselling Claude fiction series for early readers. He was the official World Book Day illustrator in 2014, and other recent accolades include the UKLA Picture Book Award for Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion and the Children’s Book of the World Illustration Award for illustrating Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians. When not working, Alex enjoys doodling in his sketchbook, reading, people-watching, and eavesdropping. He lives under the watchful eye of his small canine companions, who are a constant source of inspiration to him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
September 20, 2019
Claude lives with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes and his best friend, Sir Bobbysock. When Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes go to work, he has lots of adventures. In this book he takes a trip to the City and has adventures at the Art Gallery and the hospital. The Claude books are excellent for children just moving towards reading chapter books - they have great illustrations, not too much print on each page, fast moving storylines and will appeal to both boys and girls. There is also a lot of humour, which makes them fun for any adult reading aloud. These are excellent reads and some of the best early chapter books I have come across.
May 16, 2013
Loved this book. So refreshingly odd, funny, creative, and a wee bit subversive. There will surely be adults who take issue with one or two bits of the book (like the ladies undergarment floating out of a taxi cab window), but there is much to love about this book.
My favorite part: that Claude the dog has a best friend named Sir Bobblysock...who is, indeed, a sock.
My favorite part: that Claude the dog has a best friend named Sir Bobblysock...who is, indeed, a sock.
September 25, 2025
This was the first bridge book/ move towards chapter book I’ve read with my 5 year old. He loved it and I was pleased to find it was entertaining and quirky too! We read it over 4 nights (and used a bookmark - very exciting if you are 5!) and the story was easy to follow, I loved the characters - Sir Bobblysock was my favourite, no surprises that a 5 year old loved Dr Ivan Akinbum! Would like to read more in the series too but I think this one will always hold a special place in my heart as the first proper book book we’ve read together!
August 12, 2013
Charming and quirky. . .two of my favorite qualities!
A lovely addition to the bridge book selection at our library. It is short and snappy enough that I was tempted to put it in my early-chapter-book-easier category, but it has some challenging and fun words that tipped it into the "harder" category.
A lovely addition to the bridge book selection at our library. It is short and snappy enough that I was tempted to put it in my early-chapter-book-easier category, but it has some challenging and fun words that tipped it into the "harder" category.
March 21, 2021
Kaarle kaupungilla -kirjassa on itseasiassa kaksi tarinaa! Muihin lukemiimme Kaarle-kirjoihin nähden tässä kirjassa ei ollut niin kaksimielinen kuvitus.
Kaarle-kirjat ovat tällä hetkellä suuressa suosiossa meidän perheessä, eikä ihme. Näissä tapahtuu paljon ja huumori on loistavaa!
Kaarle-kirjat ovat tällä hetkellä suuressa suosiossa meidän perheessä, eikä ihme. Näissä tapahtuu paljon ja huumori on loistavaa!
October 20, 2013
I have read the book in welsh but it is not on the server!
December 9, 2019
Meet Claude (or Jacques in my Dutch edition), he is a dog with an eye for fashion~
I read this book in Dutch but will be writing this review in English. However that means I will be using the Dutch names as I have no idea what the names (other than Claude) are in English.
Alex T. Smith writes some amazing books so when I spotted this book at my library I wanted to try it out. It looked adorable, though I wasn't sure about the sock thing. In the end that was the one thing that didn't make the book very enjoyable.
Meet Claude, or as I will call him since that is his name in the Dutch edition Jacques (no clue why it was changed from one French name to another). A dog who loves wearing berets and loves buying them. I do wonder how he buys things, so he can speak English? He has money somehow? I guess I shouldn't think about that too much, just like with many of these animal books that are out in the world. I liked Jacques a lot. He was sweet and I loved that instead of waiting for his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Glimschoen, he goes out for some fun adventures of his own.
In this one he has two adventures both taking place in the city. Instead of your usual chapters the book is split in an introduction and then there are two parts which are two stories. In the first Jacques takes his friend out for a trip to the city and there is an exciting event happening at the museum, in the next his friend is ill and Jacques takes him to the doctor in the city. From the stories I liked the first one more. The second one focused a bit too much on that sock thing.
Yes, that sock thing. Mr. Wiebelsok. Who just looks like a sock, acts like a sock, but apparently can drink, eat, order stuff, have feelings, get an x-ray, and more. I think it would have been better had the sock actually looked alive. With eyes, hands/arms. As he is just kind of wobbling after Jacques??? No clue how? It just distracted a bit too much from the story for my liking. It was just weird. Weirder than a dog walking out on his own during day.
The illustrations were fabulous though! I also loved that there was a main colourscheme in this one (red, pink, white).
But will I continue this series? Sadly, no. There were good things about it, but I am just not into more of that sock thing.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I read this book in Dutch but will be writing this review in English. However that means I will be using the Dutch names as I have no idea what the names (other than Claude) are in English.
Alex T. Smith writes some amazing books so when I spotted this book at my library I wanted to try it out. It looked adorable, though I wasn't sure about the sock thing. In the end that was the one thing that didn't make the book very enjoyable.
Meet Claude, or as I will call him since that is his name in the Dutch edition Jacques (no clue why it was changed from one French name to another). A dog who loves wearing berets and loves buying them. I do wonder how he buys things, so he can speak English? He has money somehow? I guess I shouldn't think about that too much, just like with many of these animal books that are out in the world. I liked Jacques a lot. He was sweet and I loved that instead of waiting for his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Glimschoen, he goes out for some fun adventures of his own.
In this one he has two adventures both taking place in the city. Instead of your usual chapters the book is split in an introduction and then there are two parts which are two stories. In the first Jacques takes his friend out for a trip to the city and there is an exciting event happening at the museum, in the next his friend is ill and Jacques takes him to the doctor in the city. From the stories I liked the first one more. The second one focused a bit too much on that sock thing.
Yes, that sock thing. Mr. Wiebelsok. Who just looks like a sock, acts like a sock, but apparently can drink, eat, order stuff, have feelings, get an x-ray, and more. I think it would have been better had the sock actually looked alive. With eyes, hands/arms. As he is just kind of wobbling after Jacques??? No clue how? It just distracted a bit too much from the story for my liking. It was just weird. Weirder than a dog walking out on his own during day.
The illustrations were fabulous though! I also loved that there was a main colourscheme in this one (red, pink, white).
But will I continue this series? Sadly, no. There were good things about it, but I am just not into more of that sock thing.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 8, 2021
Kaarle kaupungilla oli mielestäni parempi kuin Kaarle lomalla.
Heti, kun herra ja rouva Kiiltokenkänen lähtevät pois kotoa, Kaarle suuntaa kaupungille. Hän päätyy museoon, ja kaiken kukkuraksi, pelastaa vahingossa jonkun arvokkaan taideteoksen tuhoutumiselta. Tästä itse pormestari saapuu palkitsemaan hänet mitalilla. Kaarle menee takaisin kotiin nukkumaan mitali kaulassaan, ja Kiiltokenkäset vähän ihmettelevät illalla kotiin saapuessaan, että mistä moinen mitali on mahtanut ilmestyä. He eivät tiedä siis mitään Kaarlen reissuista sillä aikaa, kun itse ovat poissa.
Kirjassa on toinenkin episodi, jossa Kaarle päätyy sairaalaan, ja hänestä kruunataan hetkeksi aikaa oikea lääkäri, heh heh. No kun hän sattuu sovittamaan ylleen lääkärin valkoista takkia, ja sitten tulee kiireellinen hälytys, että lääkäriä tarvitaan. Sairaalaan Kaarle alunperin suuntasi, koska halusi viedä lelunsa, Lordi Nukkasukkasen hoitoon, kun sillä oli joku vaiva. Aika vakavasti lääkärit hoitivat sukkaa, ja kärräsivät sen pois pyörätuolissa. Pian se tuotiin takaisin, ja oli saanut oikein leikkauksen, eli kirurgi oli ommellut kiinni kantapäässä olevan reijän.
Heti, kun herra ja rouva Kiiltokenkänen lähtevät pois kotoa, Kaarle suuntaa kaupungille. Hän päätyy museoon, ja kaiken kukkuraksi, pelastaa vahingossa jonkun arvokkaan taideteoksen tuhoutumiselta. Tästä itse pormestari saapuu palkitsemaan hänet mitalilla. Kaarle menee takaisin kotiin nukkumaan mitali kaulassaan, ja Kiiltokenkäset vähän ihmettelevät illalla kotiin saapuessaan, että mistä moinen mitali on mahtanut ilmestyä. He eivät tiedä siis mitään Kaarlen reissuista sillä aikaa, kun itse ovat poissa.
Kirjassa on toinenkin episodi, jossa Kaarle päätyy sairaalaan, ja hänestä kruunataan hetkeksi aikaa oikea lääkäri, heh heh. No kun hän sattuu sovittamaan ylleen lääkärin valkoista takkia, ja sitten tulee kiireellinen hälytys, että lääkäriä tarvitaan. Sairaalaan Kaarle alunperin suuntasi, koska halusi viedä lelunsa, Lordi Nukkasukkasen hoitoon, kun sillä oli joku vaiva. Aika vakavasti lääkärit hoitivat sukkaa, ja kärräsivät sen pois pyörätuolissa. Pian se tuotiin takaisin, ja oli saanut oikein leikkauksen, eli kirurgi oli ommellut kiinni kantapäässä olevan reijän.
October 16, 2019
Labai gera knyga uzmigdyti vaika ir sprt visa knyga perskaityt per vakara😅
September 16, 2024
Claude is a dog in a beret. He and his best friend, Sir Bobblysock, who is a bobbly sock, go to the city one day and have several silly adventures, not the least of which includes unusual beverages, a beret shopping spree, a crime in action, and pigeons. They're quite tired afterward, so tired in fact, that they go to the hospital, where it's up to Claude to solve the case of the mysterious floppy wrestlers. What a day!
This story is silly and random and doesn't have a strong plot. It's fun and easy to read, and I think young readers will get a giggle out of it. I don't think I'll be continuing with the series myself, but I'll certainly be recommending it to my level 2 and 3 readers when they're ready for a little longer book.
This story is silly and random and doesn't have a strong plot. It's fun and easy to read, and I think young readers will get a giggle out of it. I don't think I'll be continuing with the series myself, but I'll certainly be recommending it to my level 2 and 3 readers when they're ready for a little longer book.
March 30, 2018
Claude and his best friend Sir Bobblysock go out into the city for the day, go shopping, visit a museum, and end up at the hospital where Claude gets mistaken for a doctor.
Claude is a nice dog to find around, and Sir Bobblysock may be the most unique sidekick I've come across in children's lit. I liked Claude saving the day at the museum, and I liked the doctor's visit part which was quite humorous. I could've done without the underwear and butt gags in the illustrations.
Claude is a nice dog to find around, and Sir Bobblysock may be the most unique sidekick I've come across in children's lit. I liked Claude saving the day at the museum, and I liked the doctor's visit part which was quite humorous. I could've done without the underwear and butt gags in the illustrations.
February 8, 2022
The Claude the dog books are so stinking cute. The author is also the illustrator and the drawings make my kid giggle joyously. Very fun for kids and parents. They’re chapter books too, probably good for reluctant readers.
May 9, 2013
Really cute, silly, somewhat sophisticated beginning chapter book. Not silly potty humor more like silly weird British type humor.
April 7, 2014
I super love the Claude books! The adventures that he and Sir Bobblysock go on are always humorous and so perfectly orchestrated. What a joy this story was.
November 15, 2018
Silly 'dog and his sock' madcap day-in-the-city stories. Great fun.
My 7-year-old read this to me, we managed it in a few bedtimes. I could tell he was amused by it, from the first few pages.
Heavy on illustration, it's a non-challenging read for a newly independent reader. The illustrations are in a limited palette: pink, white and black, which really stands out.
Claude waits until his owners - Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes - are out, then he and his friend, Sir Bobblysock (a sock) hit the city. Their day out is full of escapade, even needing the emergency banana Claude carries with him.
A fast-moving story with comic settings that children will love - we did. Lots of detail in the drawings make it amusing for adults as well.
Great start to a series. One for ages 6-10.
My 7-year-old read this to me, we managed it in a few bedtimes. I could tell he was amused by it, from the first few pages.
Heavy on illustration, it's a non-challenging read for a newly independent reader. The illustrations are in a limited palette: pink, white and black, which really stands out.
Claude waits until his owners - Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes - are out, then he and his friend, Sir Bobblysock (a sock) hit the city. Their day out is full of escapade, even needing the emergency banana Claude carries with him.
A fast-moving story with comic settings that children will love - we did. Lots of detail in the drawings make it amusing for adults as well.
Great start to a series. One for ages 6-10.
February 21, 2023
Lovely funny book for kids with beautiful artwork.
Claude the snoopy like dog and his best friend , a stripy sock head to the city. After many adventures they inadvertently foil an art thief and become city heroes.
Then in another little mini gale sock is unwell and Claude takes him to hospital . A misunderstanding leads to Claude again inadvertently saving the day and of course sock makes a full recovery .
Love these books - and more importantly so does my young daughter . They are fast , funny easy reads and just what the doctor - or Claude - ordered !
Claude the snoopy like dog and his best friend , a stripy sock head to the city. After many adventures they inadvertently foil an art thief and become city heroes.
Then in another little mini gale sock is unwell and Claude takes him to hospital . A misunderstanding leads to Claude again inadvertently saving the day and of course sock makes a full recovery .
Love these books - and more importantly so does my young daughter . They are fast , funny easy reads and just what the doctor - or Claude - ordered !
April 3, 2018
Two silly adventures of Claude. In the first one he goes into the city and does all the things one might, like: cafe, museum, shopping...
In the second, he takes his poor sick sock to the doctor. When he is mistaken for a doctor, he solves the mystery of the ill wrestlers.
Quite silly- I anticipate that the kids will love this one. I laughed out loud at a few things myself (Like him cleaning out the beret store.)
In the second, he takes his poor sick sock to the doctor. When he is mistaken for a doctor, he solves the mystery of the ill wrestlers.
Quite silly- I anticipate that the kids will love this one. I laughed out loud at a few things myself (Like him cleaning out the beret store.)
March 7, 2022
This was a cute book. I'm not entirely sure about the "bobbley sock" but I did like Claude and the rest of this cute early chapter book. Maybe I will continue on in the series (?). Claude has a few more adventures in addition to going into the city, I think he goes to the Circus and maybe the Beach. I know there are quite a few books in the series. This was better for me than the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to be honest. Fun.
January 1, 2018
This is a pretty cute book about the adventures of a dog, Claude, and his super sidekick and BFF, Sir Bobblysock. They have some entertaining adventures together that is for sure! An easy and quick read, perfect for the child that is new to the chapter book reading. Also has a hint of British lingo, which makes for a funny story all around.
July 20, 2021
Claude decidio que aventura vivira hoy. El pidio un enorme coctel de frutas en un restaurante. Claude era un heroe en el museo. La proxima vez, que vayas a la ciudad or al hospital, a lo mejor vez 1) una paloma 2) una boina elegante 3) Un fonendoscopio y 4) un platano. Y lo mejor ves a claude y al senor calcentipelusa. Nucna se sabe por donde pueden aparecer~
November 23, 2021
I read this to my 7yo son in one sitting since there are so many pictures (although it was in the regular chapter book section of the library). I enjoyed it well enough at the time, but two days later, I barely remember anything about the plot. Either I wasn't paying attention, or it wasn't that memorable.
June 24, 2018
This was so adorable! A very nice read even if you aren't a kid. Made me giggle at times. I don't think I'll be able to look at berets and stripy socks the same way anymore, haha
Also, why is the dog called Leo in the Latvian translation if he's Claude in the original?
Also, why is the dog called Leo in the Latvian translation if he's Claude in the original?
February 25, 2020
Amusing chapter book tale about a little dog, Claude, and a bobbly sock. They go for an adventure in the city, see pigeons, a museum, find a sculpture thief, and the sock ends up needing a trip to the hospital.
September 12, 2020
Really well written and humorous with a great story line. Lovely illustrations that add to the humour and joy of the book from the perspective of Claude the dog. Looking forward to reading others in the series.
May 10, 2022
Very cute easy reader for kids just breaking into chapter books. Claude is a loveable character and who would have thought a sock would be such a great companion! The humans are definitely background characters as Claude steals the show.
May 11, 2023
Another great installment of the Claude series, even though we read At The Beach out of order! There are two “bummers” in the book, one is in a museum and one is in the hospital. They made the boys “crack” up. This is a great book for the boys to practice reading on.
November 18, 2017
I don't know how I only discovered this great kids' series (little kid chapter books), but it is so fantastic. I'm in love.
August 2, 2018
I've been reading this cute series with my 7 year old and they are fabulous.
October 15, 2018
Smiešna Smraďoška.
February 28, 2019
A seriously adorable book. My daughter and I read it in one sitting. So fun and silly, with some great pictures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews