Reviews (1)

Dr. Seuss introduces young readers to sounds and adjectives
This is a pair of classic Dr. Seuss Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners that focus on some of the FUNdamentals of reading. Mr. Brown is a creation of Dr. Seuss, who makes Old MacDonald look like the strong silent type. That is because as we learn in "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises," Mr. Brown can do more than "moo" like a cow, "buzz" like a bee, and go "hoo hoo hoo hoo" like an owl. Mr. Brown can go "pop" like a cork, "eek eek" like a squeaky shoe, and even make the sound of a hippopotamus chewing gum. One of the reasons this is a popular book with beginning readers is not only because kids enjoy making all these noises, but also because parents and other adults get to embarrass themselves in making the sounds on these pages come alive (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). Trying to make the sound of the rain or a big cat drinking is not too hard, but doing a very hard noise to make like the sound of lighting (which is a "splatt" apparently) or a noise like a goldfish kiss ("pip") might be pushing the envelope too much. Of course, you can make up any sound you want when you are reading this to very young children. But you have to keep in mind that the whole point of these Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners is to inspire them to read on their own one day.

Of course "The Foot Book" is about not only the foot (singular) but also feet (plural). There are more references to feet (plural) than to feet (singular), if you happen to pay attention to such things (which, apparently, I did). But the key part of this book are all the adjectives that Dr. Seuss comes up with for all those feet. This happens mostly in terms of oppositional pairs such as right and left, wet and dry, high and low, front and back, etc. Of course sometimes rhyme comes into play as well, such as when we go from small feet to big feet and then to pig feet. The illustrations all feature the strange hairy creatures that populate the imagination of Dr. Seuss, although you will see a pair of rather normal looking kids in the mix as well. Did you ever stop to think that Dr. Seuss is probably the most influential poet of his generation? He is certainly the most imitated, and behind all these silly rhymes was a deep desire to get kids to read. Once your beginning reader has read "The Foot Book," be sure to have them check out the sequel, "Fox in Sox." ... Read more

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It all starts with Dr. Suess....
This is an excellent retrospective of the art of Dr. Suess (Theodor Geisel), published for the first major exhibition of his work in 1986. Written before his untimely death, it covers everything from his earliest student sketch books to _You're Only Old Once!_.

While the cleverness of the good doctor's prose is sampled, it is really his artwork that steals the show. The book is filled with both glorious full color, as well as black and white, examples. There are also reproductions of most of the cover illustrations. The truly rare aspect of this book though, is the biographical insights that it gives into the artist's life. The struggles that he went through with underemployment and just trying to survive in the 1930's are especially inspiring these days.

It is fascinating to see the artist's early magazine (Judge and Life) and advertising work (Flit and Esso.) The only noticable omission is his early Hollywood collaboration. There is absolutely no mention of the early Horton cartoons, or of "5000 Fingers of Dr. T."

I especially enjoyed this book because of an incident that happened to me in grade school. I was always fascinated by the art in these books, but when I tried to look at them in third grade, I was told that I couldn't because they were below my "age level." That is a lie, these books, and this art, transcend any bureaucratic, mindless, age grouping. They are ageless and timeless. ... Read more

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Catchy rhythms and rhymes for kids of all ages!
This out of print book should be back in print with its accompanying tape. It is a must have for Seuss lovers. Fun for the whole family learning the songs. Excellent for developing rhyming patterns in prereaders. ... Read more

Book Description

Started by Seuss, finished by Prelutsky, and splendiferously illustrated by

Lane Smith, this is the children's book publishing event of the year! Big--56

pages--and bursting with energy, here is a joyous ode to individuality,

starring an unsinkable teacher named Miss Bonkers and quirky little

Diffendoofer School, which must prove it has taught its students how to

think--or have them sent to dreary Flobbertown. Included is an introduction by

Dr. Seuss's longtime editor explaining how the book came to be and reproducing

Dr. Seuss's 1989 original pencil sketches and hand-printed notes for the

book--a true find for all Seuss collectors.        In Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!

Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith pay homage to Dr. Seuss in their own distinctive

ways. The result is the union of three one-of-a-kind voices in a brand-new,

completely original book that is greater than the sum of its parts. For all of

us who will never forget our school days and that special teacher, here is a

book to give and to get.




... Read more

Reviews (33)

If Number 2 pencils make you cringe . . .
I loved Dr. Seuss as a kid, but I have to admit, I don't always like reading him aloud now that I'm a parent. Don't tell my kids, but I know how Green Eggs and Ham ended up behind the sofa. Mom and Dad hid it there after they'd been forced to read about boxes and foxes and sockses too many times in a row one night. This new book, based on notes and sketches found among Dr. Seuss's papers after his death, might escape the fate of Sam-I-am, at least in our house. There are some definite funny moments. Discussing the cafeteria workers, the narrator says, "They make us hot dogs, beans, and fries, / Plus things we do not recognize." Although the food may resemble that found in some educational institutions, the philosophy does not. Instead of teaching the students the traditional canon and rote memorization, the teachers at Diffendoofer teach an eclectic mix. Extolling the virtues of his teacher, Miss Bonkers, the narrator says: She even teaches frogs to dance. And pigs to put on underpants. One day she taught a duck to sing -- Miss Bonkers teaches EVERYTHING! Of all the teachers in our school, I like Miss Bonkers best. Our teachers are all different, But she's different-er than the rest. Most of all, the teachers teach their students how to think. This works great, until the day of the dreaded standardized test. If the students at Diffendoofer School don't pass with flying colors, they'll be forced to go to Flobbertown, where everyone does everything the same. Amazingly enough, the test covers all the things the Diffendoofer teachers have been teaching -- and for those questions on material they haven't covered yet, the students use their thinking skills to come up with the right answers. Lane Smith's illustrations pay tribute to Dr. Seuss. Several characters from Seuss books walk the halls of Diffendoofer School, along with Smith's more angular characters. The library is stocked with Seuss books. At the end of the book, there's the story of how this book came to be. After reading the original verses and studying the original sketches, I re-read the story and marveled at how Prelutsky and Smith took a small amount of material and fashioned Hooray for Diffendoofer Day.

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!!!
Hooray!!! The genius of Dr. Suess is teamed with that of Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith to produce an outstanding book full of rhymes -- and reason. Diffendoofer School is a santuary for individuality. Why take spelling tests, when yelling contests are so much more fun? Everyone in the school has a unique talent they contribute - like Miss Bonkers, who teaches frogs to dance; and pigs to put on underpants! The students and Diffendoofer love its zany outlook, until a test threatens to send them to Flobbertown, where everyone's the same. But Miss Bonkers has faith in her pupils and chirps:

"We've taught you that the earth is round, that red and white make pink. But most importantly of all: We've taught you how to think..."

And when the test comes, it is filled with things they do know. And for the questions they didn't know, somehow they answered them, proving what Miss Bonkers said. This book is a great gift, and proves that a little fun can't hurt! Three cheers for Diffendoofer Day!!!

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

Great Story; Not Very Seuss-like Art
The concept of this book is from Dr. Seuss- he drew sketches and some verses before he died. The details of the story is from another writer who does a wonderful job. I believe the author did a terrific job keeping Dr. Seuss's touch on the book and really made it a wonderful story. But I dislike the art. I think the art makes the book one that I don't want to have. The art is done by Lane Smith, the same guy who did work on 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and he drew this book and the characters for that movie the same way. Some of the character drawings in the book, especially one of a clown that appears on one page, are rather scary-looking. I believe the artist strayed completely away from Dr. Seuss's concept for the book. In Seuss's sketches that he did before he died, he drew the main character, Ms. Bonkers as a sweet old, gray-haired teacher. He also drew a sketch of another lead character, the school's principal. Lane Smith drew Ms. Bonkers as a young, blonde teacher who I imagine, is supposed to be rather attractive. He draws the principal in the book somewhat scary. In Dr. Seuss's sketches for the concept of the book, Dr. Seuss drew and versed that the principal liked to watch Ms. Bonkers jump on a trampoline, which was cute and funny when you see a gray-haired woman in a long, bulky, old-lady dress down to her ankles jumping upside down in mid-air with the old principal watching humorously in the far background, as Dr. Seuss drew in his concept sketch. It is not so cute, and somewhat perverted I think, when Lane Smith draws a young Ms. Bonkers jumping up in the air in a not-so-long dress, with the scary-looking principal standing underneath, looking upwards. We own just about every Dr. Seuss book that he made. We got this one from the library to see if wanted to buy it... we don't. I think the publisher did a great job picking the author. But I belive the publisher really messed up when they chose Lane Smith as the artist and allowed him to draw like something from a 'Nightmare' and yet still think they can put Dr. Seuss's name on the book in order to sell it. Of course, that is just my opinion.

Student Teacher
I absolutely love this book! My Language Arts teacher in my Credential Program, in Chula Vista, read us this book before we had to take a huge test. I was so inspired I bought my own copy. It is a wonderful book for all teachers to have. Read it to your students before those standardized tests! Trust me... they will love it!!

Hooray For Diffendoofer Day! by
This book is amazing! It has a personality of its own. It would be so awesome if my school was like that. My teachers would be teaching frogs to dance, ducks to sing, and how to tell the difference between chrysanthemums and miniature poodles! Who would want to leave a school where you can yell in the library? Even the fact that the school is called Diffendoofer makes me want to learn there.
The children love the unique things about the school but the principal threatens that if the students don't do well on the test they will have to go to Flobbertown where everything is the same.
The teacher is confident that they will do well. She tells them, "I'm certain you'll succeed. We've taught you that the earth is round, that red and white make pink, and something else that matters more we've taught you how to think."
I think this book is for everyone; parents will enjoy it as well as children! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Dr. Seuss didn't finish this picture of Fred. So I helped him out; and I drew Fred a head," begins this delightful coloring book, in which young illustrators follow simple rhyming instructions to fill in the missing elements of the picture. Children will enjoy coloring in legs for the Sneggs (a typically whimsical Seuss creature with a long body, fur, and stripes), a Blue Hoo-Fish for fisherman Gish, and the front of a Hamika-Snamika-Bamika-Bunt--no easy stunt! The crowning achievement is a drawing of one's own "Big Something," framed importantly in gold: "Big Somethings aren't easy./ They're hard for a kid./ But I can draw one by myself./ And I did!" These 20 pages of full-color but incomplete quirky drawings will inspire fun, creative pictures from your favorite budding artist, and the short verses help teach reading skills. (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fun for only a few bucks!
We bought this book as a "cheap" gift when we were in Florida, but my kids have had a great time with it. My 3 and 4 year olds colored and completed the pictures and my 6 year old read it to them! All for less than the price of some coloring books. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

SUPER TOOL FOR TEACHING THE ALPHABET
I bought these flashcards to get an early start to teaching my child the alphabet. He's just six months, but loves to hear me rattle off the quirky, yet alliterative, Seuss sentences. A super tool to teaching kids letters and objects that begin with them. I just know we'll get much use out of them over the next couple of years.

A B C's you can See
I got these to help my 4 yr. old twins prepare for kindergarten. After realizing we had been concentrating on upper case letters only, I searched several stores in our area and was not able to find anything with upper and lower case letters together. Their therapist recommended using something with both letters to help them learn the lower case by association. The only thing that might give pause is that the color side of the card with the sentences and phrases using the letter emphasized in the picture takes a little extra work until your children get used to the "Fiffer-Feffer-Feff" and the "Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz" animals. I'm buying several extra sets to include with birthday gifts for cousins and friends. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A favorite of mine when I was a child!
I am lucky to still have an old copy of this book. I loved it when I was little and my kids love it now. A simple introduction to world culture in a surprisingly modern way. I am glad to see it is being republished as my 35 year old copy may not last another generation!

My favorite picture book!
I, too, love this book and have tried to find a copy for years. As a child, I frequently checked it out of my church library. I enjoyed the bright colors and the excitement of visiting other places. The pictures and story remind me of a favorite place -- Disney's "It's A Small World."

Excellent Book, My Son's favorite.
This book is amazing. I found it at a thrift store for .25 and put it away for the birth of my first child. I am an American living overseas, so for my son to see all the different cultures familiar and unfamiliar, it great. He is 18 months old and just wants to look at the pictures and hear me read it over and over and over again. I never tire of reading it either.

I literally bawled when I located this book at Amazon.com!
I've been searching for this book since the birth of my first child. It was my all time favorite book. My mother read it to me night and day. Upon my learning to read, I remember taking this book to bed with me during nap time and reading it over and over again. I never grew tired of seeing how children in other countries lived. This book went every where I went. I'm estatic this book has been reprinted and I can share it with my children.

A Valuable Find!!
I have been "hunting" for this book for years! I loved it as a child, going all those different places, and now am anxious to share it with my nieces! Thank you for allowing us to do some "traveling" together!! Ronda ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. "This zany story of a boy's wishes for duck feet, a whale spout, deer horns, a long tail, elephant's trunk, etc. will be a favorite with young readers."--School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

I Wish That I Had Duck Feet
One of my children's all-time favorites. I first read it to my daughter when she was 2 and she insisted I read it to her several times a day. This went on for months. I then began leaving off the last word of every other sentence and as I pointed to it, she "read" it from memory. I credit this book with helping to give her a love for reading. By the time she was 4 she could read it on her own (not just memorized). I recently asked my 10-year-old son to list his favorite books from his early childhood and this one was at the top of the list. I think the zaniness of imagining having duck feet or antlers really appeals to a child. As a teacher, I also use this book with older children who are having trouble with reading.

I wish that I had Duck Feet
The book "I Wish that I had Duck Feet" was a good book because of several reasons. The Three reasons are it's short, it's easy to read, and it's got good pictures. The first reason why "I Wish that I had Duck Feet" was a good book is because it is easy to read. It is easy to read because it's a little kids book and the words are big and easy to see. It is also easy to read because it doesn't have very many words on one page. The second reason why this book it good is because it's short. I like short books because they don't look very small letters like big novels have. It is also a small page book, because there are not very many words on the page. The last reason why I liked the book"I Wish that I had Duck Feet" is because it had good pictures. There wasn't a page on the book that didn't have a picture; The book showed all kinds of different pictures because it had stuff like deer antlers on the kid and a well spout, and a long tail for jump-rope. In conclusion there is no way a person can have Duck Feet, or deer antlers, or a long tail becasue every human is normal and it doesn't talk about realistic people, that is why little kids like the book.

A favorite
This was my book when I was a kid (many years ago). My child has loved this book since age 2, and still loves it at age 4, and he knows every word by heart.
The story is all about applying one's imagination.
However, at a deeper level it stimulates critical thinking. First, the main character imagines a scenario and all of the benefits (say, having deer horns on his head). Next, he goes on to consider all of the pitfalls. Good life skills here!
There is some level of bullying from his antagonist. I'll confess to skipping some related sections when my boy was 2, since he had no concept of 'meaness', but at 4 he knows full well that not everyone plays nice in this world.
Another triumph for the good Mr. Geisel incognito.

A lesson in on-balance assessment from Theo. LeSieg
If you go by the last line of "I Wish That I Had Duck Feet" then you would be inclined to think that this "I Can Read It All By Myself: Beginner Book" is about building self esteem in small children. But this book, written by Theo. LeSieg (do the last name backwards) and illustrated by B. Tobey, does two other important things as well. As is the case with any and all books from Dr. Seuss, there is an emphasis on the imagination. The young boy who wishes he had duck feet also wishes that he could have deer horns, a long tail, and several other physical features that would make him unique and special.

But the most important thing that "I Wish That I Had Duck Feet" teaches beginning readers is the value of looking at both sides of an issue. While the young boy is able to come up with lots of reasons why having duck feet would be a good thing, his mother has at least one very good reason why he would not want them. From that point on in the story the young boy comes up with both the pros and cons for each of the things for which he wishes. Not only does this make the point that kids should think things through first, but it also serves as a reminder that not everything kids wish for is worth having.

Still, the ability to see both sides of an issue is an important skill for young kids to acquire (older ones too, for that matter). Besides, parents can use the lesson from this book to good advantage. The next time your kid wishes they could have something and they tell you all the reasons why it would be a good thing to have, you can ask that they come up with reasons for the down side. If they claim they cannot come up with any you can certainly find one and tell them that since they could not come up with the pros and cons the answer is "No." However, as much fun as this can be keep in mind that if they come up with points for both sides and make the case for the pros outweighing the cons, you are pretty much obligated to grant their wish.

My Daughter's Favorite
My daughter now 14 years old used to request this book nightly when she was much younger. Recently, I asked her for a book recommendation for a coworker and she recommended this. I had forgotten we used to read it but somehow she remembered and cited it as her all time favorite - quite a testimonial! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dr. Seuss still #1
I Have always loved Dr. Seuss books, since I was a young child myself. I bought this for my child who has also grow to love Dr. Seuss Books. If your child has ever read any of his books, I highly recommend this one.. I have to say that this has become my childs favorite book, next to Green eggs and ham. This book is geared toward children who are just beginning to read, and who like to be read to or with. ... Read more