Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz!!! Dr. Seuss's ABC

Author                                     : Dr Seuss
Illustrated by                              : Dr Seuss
Age range recommended         : 3 to 7 years (though we think  you can start even earlier!)
Theme                                      : Introduction to alphabets, imaginary characters and words



Opening lines –
Big A. Little a. What begins with A? 

Introduction and Synopsis –
This is quite simply an alphabet book, but with a difference. If you are familiar with Dr. Seuss’ books, you’d know what we are hinting at. He introduces the letters of the alphabet with his wacky, preposterous way of writing. The book is full of crazy alliteration, repetition and rhymes which tiny tots will find delightful. The book introduces both upper case and lower case letters and also introduces words in a basic phonics format. Dr. Seuss’s inimitable creative use of language is the high point, a feature consistent in all his books (really, we are yet to find another author who writes like this).


Why did my caterpillar and I like this book? 
Unlike my regular posts, I'm giving a joint review for this book between my baby and me- simply because we think similary on this book and love it just as much!

So, correction - We loved this book. And we can illustrate why with some pictures.

You see? Only Dr Seuss can get away with lines like Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz (my little A is in love with the word!) and inventions like duck-dog (there’s even a picture of a duck-dog!). Some might find this a little outlandish, especially if you are new to Dr. Seuss’s writings, but take my word for it – kids will love it. We think it is because although the words are completely made up, they make the reading fluid and interesting at the same time. There is a lot of imagination used, with lines made up (David Donald Doo dreamed a dozen doughnuts and a duck-dog, too) and even characters (four fluffy feathers on a Fiffer –feffer-feff). Each page has a dominant background colour and so the illustrations are fun to watch and details, hard to miss.

The winning feature of this book, in our opinion, is truly in its absolute nonsense – I cannot think of something more ridiculous than ‘Oscar’s only ostrich oiled an orange owl today’!!! And there is actually a picture for the child to connect it to! In fact, every such statement is supported by a picture depicting the phrases on the same page. It is truly delightful.

Online link -
We found this online link which we frequently watch and enjoy.


The cocoon rates it -

5/5

We cannot really think of any flip side to the book, except that the very points mentioned above that make this book such a must-have will not appeal to everybody (read grown-ups). There is no way a child of 2 or 3 is going to reject this book. We totally recommend.

Yertle the Turtle and other stories

Author                                 : Dr Seuss
Illustrated by                       : Dr Seuss
Age range recommended  : 4+

Theme                                : Arrogance, pride, greed; alternatively - humility, kindness)

Opening lines –  

On the far-away Island of Sala-ma-Sond, Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond. A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat. The water was warm. There was plenty to eat. The turtles had everything turtles might need. And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed. 

They were... until Yertle, the king of them all, decided the kingdom he ruled was too small. "I'm ruler, " said Yertle, "of all that I see. But I don't see enough."

Introduction and Synopsis –

The book has 3 stories, Yertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz and The Big Brag. We look at the first story here.

In this tale, Yertle, the King of all the Turtles, is dissatisfied with the stone that acts as his throne and  with the size of his kingdom, which was restricted to how far he can see. So he decides that he wants a throne so high up that he can see far and thus become a bigger ruler. He ruthlessly decides to make his throne by asking all turtles to climb one on top of another, with himself perched on top. He spares no thought to his subjects who are gettting crushed in the process.What happens to the poor turtles? Does Yertle become a great king at the expense of his subjects? Or, do the other turtles defy their king, to stand up for themselves?

Why did my caterpillar and I like this book?

ME -
I thought this was a very good story to show children what happens when you are overcome with pride and when power goes into you head. Though you don't really have to use these words with your little one, it is a pretty simple story to read to your child and give her a lesson in humility. I read somewhere that Dr Seuss based the character of Yertle on Adolf Hitler and used this story to demonstrate the rise of fascism in Europe! Is there any other author who has done such incredible work? I mean, this is political theory brought out in a book for a 4 year old! Brilliant! Dr Seuss was against writing stories with morals in mind, but he was not averse to writing about issues.

Check out the last lines of the book, pasted below, where his intent and his thoughts are expressed beautifully -

All turtles, and maybe all creatures should be free. Isn't that a simple, yet profound idea to teach your child? And extremely important as well?

An interesting trivia that I got to read about the author on this  book was, when questioned about why he wrote "maybe" rather than "surely", Dr. Seuss replied that he didn't want to sound "didactic or like a preacher on a platform", and that he wanted the reader "to say 'surely' in their minds instead of my having to say it. Isn't that a deep thought?

Yertle is the absolute monarch. He is ruthless. Greedy. Selfish. Corrupted by power. And that is exactly what brings about ultimately his fall from the top, like it should. The other way of looking at the story is - Be kind and humble. Put yourself in others' shoes and see how it feels to be there. Think about others. Be happy where you are. Don't aspire for something you don't really need, especially at the cost of happiness of others.

The illustrations are typical of Dr Seuss's style and the pictures of all the turtles on top of one another is done well.

The writing style is lucid, there is extensive use of rhyme. The simple-to-understand sentences, broken into meaningful phrases, ensure that kids dont get lost during the reading. Interestingly, all through the story, other than black and white, the only 2 colours used are blue and green.

MY TINY CATERPILLAR - 

She was a little bored as I read on because, unlike the other Dr Seuss books that we have read, this one had longer sentences and tinier pictures. She loves rhymes, so they kept her entertained. Thundered, mile, mule, beyond - there were quite a few new words that she learnt; the book has ample scope for that. She did not enjoy the illustrations as much in this one, though she was extremely amused with the lengthy 'turtle throne' with Yertle perched on top!

Online link -

We found this online link to the story on You Tube. Do check this so you know about this very interesting story. 

The cocoon rates it -

4/5 

Though I would rate the book highly myself, the book is a a bit tough for the young reader or listener. I'd say it is a little long for a 4 year old, but you can still manage reading. I wouldn't really recommend it for the under 4 kids.

The book was written in 1958, but I believe the book will stay on and be relevant to future generations to come.

Green Eggs and Ham

Author                               : Dr Seuss

Illustrated by                      : Dr Seuss

Age range recommended    : 3+

Theme                                : Picky food habits, rhyme and rhythm

We are a very late entrant in the world of Dr Seuss books. But better late than never, here we are, with our recommendations and praise for this uniquely talented author and his work.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist, widely known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss. He has published 46 children's books, characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter, which is a style used in formal poetry..  He was a perfectionist at work and sometimes, took a year to complete a book. Geisel's birthday, March 2 (he was born in 1904), has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.  His works have spawned numerous adaptations, including 11 television specials, four feature films, a Broadway musical and four television series.

Dr Seuss lived through difficult times and used to draw cartoons for publications to support his family. He is also known for his political cartoons during the World War, where he was highly supportive of Roosevelt's 

campaign and denounced Hitler and Mussolini. 

Dr? Well, Mr Seuss was actually a college graduate drop-out! He earned his honorary doctorate much later and went on to receive a lot more, one from Princeton, too. Dr Seuss and his wife couldn't have children of their own. People often asked Dr. Seuss how he, a childless person, could write so well for children. His standard response: “You make ’em. I’ll amuse ’em.”

Many of Geisel's books express his views on a remarkable variety of social and political issues. Though Geisel made a point of not beginning the writing of his stories with a moral in mind, stating that "kids can see a moral coming a mile off," he was not against writing about issues; he said that "there's an inherent moral in any story."

Dr. Seuss's honors include two Academy awards, two Emmy awards, a Peabody award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Seuss has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard.

Today we look at a very popular book of his', Green Eggs and Ham.

Opening Lines -

I am Sam!

Sam I am!

That Sam-I-am!

That Sam-I-am!

I do not like

that Sam-I-am!

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham.

Introduction and synopsis -

"Do you like green eggs and ham?" asks Sam-I-am. Persistently, over and over again with a list of places to enjoy them at and a long list of people to enjoy them with. In a box or with a fox? In a house with a mouse? In the dark? Or perhaps, on a tree? Sam-I-am insists that it is delectable fare and has to be tried at least once before pronouncing that you don't like them. Finally, when the pestered, grumpy grouch finally agrees to try it once (on the condition that Sam-I-am would leave him alone), he is pleasantly surprised. He likes green eggs and ham! 

Why did my caterpillar and I like this book?

ME -

It is a Dr Seuss classic. His inimitable style of rhyme and rhythm, zany pictures are all here for you to see and enjoy. It is a good beginner book for children trying to read on their own. It is a message that all parents spend a lot of time and energy putting across to their kids. But green eggs and ham could be a metaphor for many things. Trying fresh green vegetables and fruits over synthetic store bought food or even, in a more broad sense, trying a new idea (the illustrations seem to suggest that the grouch who refuses to try is an oldie - someone deep-rooted in his belief over the ages and Sam-I-am, trying to get him around to try something new, is a young one).  It tells you to be open-minded. It also gets really pushy with Sam-I-am literally plaguing the guy to try it, appearing everywhere with the dish!!

MY CATERPILLAR - 

It really seems to me as though she is expecting Dr Seuss to entertain her thoroughly just like the other 2 books we have read till date. And this book did that. At the end of the reading, she did mention that there is too much to read, but she was really amused by Sam-I-am's ridiculous suggestions to try the dish. She mentioned with finality that she will never have green eggs and ham! Haha! But she knows that Dr Seuss is also suggesting what is an unwritten rule in our house - always try once. You never know what you might enjoy! Be it food, sport - even new cartoons!

Online link - 

We found this link to the very likeable book. Enjoy!
Our little A loved this video with Sam-I-am's antics more than the book.

This is the official site of Dr Seuss. You might want to take a look.

The cocoon rates it -

4/5

Dr. Seuss books have to be read to your little one. This would be a good choice to introduce them to his writings, his thoughts and his pictures. We look forward to talking about more of his amazing books soon.

We quote below some of his awesome lines, which bring out the essence of all his writings - words that make him such a special author of books for children -

• "You are you. Now, isn't that pleasant?" 
• "A person's a person, no matter how small." 
• "If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good."
• "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So.... get on your way."