On Sunday we shared some exciting news in the world of children's books... new Dr. Seuss. The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories, according to publisher Random House, holds seven stories including:
The Bippolo Seed "in which a scheming feline leads an innocent duck to make a bad decision" and The Strange Shirt Spot "the inspiration for the bathtub-ring scene in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back."
We have several Dr. Seuss books and somehow we never, ever tire of reading them and cannot wait for the new one, just over 120 days until it is released (September 2011).
"Through three cheese trees
three free fleas flew.
While these fleas flew,
freezy breeze blew.
Freezy breeze made
these three trees freeze.
Freezy trees made
these trees' cheese freeze.
That's what made these
three free fleas sneeze."
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Our challenge this week is to think about Dr. Seuss and share your thoughts, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Which is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
- What do you know about Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss? We've been wondering about the story behind his nom de plume, does anyone know how he came up with Dr. Seuss?
- April is National Poetry Month, try your hand at a little iambic pentameter -one of the wonderful poetry rhythms Dr. Seuss used. We found great lessons from Smithsonian in Your Classroom, titled The Music in Poetry, click here for a PDF of the issue.
- Share a favorite book passage or Dr.Seuss quote.
- Tell us a Seuss-y story --perhaps a book that your read over and over and over!
Take a moment to learn more about The Books for Walls Project --we were in the newspaper this week! Keep up with the latest on literacy, libraries and book love with us on Facebook or sign up for our RSS feed.
Now, without further ado,
please take
the
challenge!
All the little sister has to say is:
ReplyDelete"Would you eat them in a box? Would you eat them with a fox?"
Her favorite Dr. Seuss is Green Eggs and Ham!
I took it from the site super-childrens-books.
ReplyDeleteDr. Seuss's real name is Theodore Seuss Geisel. Named Theodore after his father, the Seuss came from his mother’s maiden name. Growing up, Theodore was more commonly called Ted.
So, if Dr. Seuss's true name is Ted Geisel, then how did the name “Dr. Seuss” come about? Well, some could say the beginnings of this famous name first came about while Ted was attending Dartmouth College.
As punishment for waking up his landlord while throwing a party, the Dean of the college made Ted resign as editor of the Jack O’Lantern, the school’s humor magazine. In order to keep editing, writing & drawing cartoons, Ted Geisel would sign his name as Ted Seuss or sometimes just, Seuss.
So, we found out where “Seuss” came from. But, what about “Dr.”?
Ted added the “Dr.” while working for the magazine publication, Judge. Assigned to a regular cartoon feature about animals called “Boids & Beasties”, Ted signed his name Dr. Theophastrus Seuss to sound more professional.
Soon, Theodore Geisel was signing Dr. Seuss on all his work (saving his real name for the great novel he would write someday).
The great thing about Dr. Seuss is that the rimes sound terrific in English, but when translated, they are still a lof of fun to read, even when it's not the same than to read it in the original language. My daugther cannot read yet, and she cannot understand English, but she loves the story of Horton Hears a Who! She got captivated by the idea of tiny poeple living in a speck of dust, I thought that maybe the concept of it all was a bit complicated for her age, but I was wrong, she got it very well and loved the end when mother kangaroo changes her mind and everyone accept that different can exist, a good lesson of tolerance.
ReplyDelete"After all, a person is a person, no matter how small."
I love all Dr. Seuss's books. But my favorite, of course, is The Lorax!
ReplyDelete"He snapped, "I am the Lorax who speaks for the trees
which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please.
But I'm also in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots
who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits
and happily lived, eating Truffula Fruits"
I feel a weee bit of melancholy each time I pick up a Dr. Seuss book here at home. You see, most of our Seuss collection were given to the Big Sister by my grandmother Eleanor Lydia Luprich Daniels. Most of the grandkids called her "Gramma Whoo Whoo" --because she would hollar "whoooooo, whoooooo" when she needed us.
ReplyDeleteDid she know that these books could be read over and over and over and that a parent (or grandparent) would never truely tire of reading Seuss aloud?
I miss my Gramma fiercely --but my melancholy is soon replaced by bliss as Dr. Seuss brings me to the present:
child in lap,
book in hand,
smiles bloom
and imaginations soar.
All because of a BOOK...
a book!
I think Gramma knew and Dr. Seuss knew too.
Thanks Gramma and Dr. Seuss wherever you are. All the books you gave me/us are treasures treasures treasures.
If heaven is like Whoville
Whoo Whoo'd fit right in
She'd sit happily reading
a book with a grin.
A book and a grin
beside Dr. Suess
she would sit.
If heaven is like Whoville
in Whoo Whoo
certainly
would
fit.
I'm with Little Sister. My favorite is GREEN EGGS AND HAM (I still haven't mastered italics) "I do not like them Sam I Am!"
ReplyDeleteAnd I have a Seuss-ey story: Before the book was released for sale, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS appeared in LIFE magazine. At the time I was teaching American Literature on television to a number of 11th grade classes in the Detroit Public Schools. I was delighted with the story and decided to use it for the last class before Christmas break. Despite some naysayers: "These are high school juniors! There's no way they'll put up with it!", we put the pictures on camera and I read the story. Everyone who was watching LOVED IT! What a gift is Dr. Seuss!
Another Seuss-ey story :-) The Cat in the Hat (my favorite) was written as a replacement easy reader for the Dick and Jane series that I grew up on? Dick and Jane books had stiff, stereo-typical “unusually clean and courteous children”!
ReplyDeleteHoughton Mifflin’s education director invited Seuss to compose a book limited to 225 words (words that every first grader should know). The Cat in the Hat set out to capture a child’s imagination and thereby encourage the desire to read more! (like the Sisters’ desire!) Dr. Seuss was a genius who’s playful creativity did just that! I heard this story originally on NPR which I dearly love; but here’s the web story! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat
There are so many... how do we ever pick one? I read the books my kids read the books, now I get to read them to my grandkids.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't get the new one yet... christmas is coming!
I used to own an anthology of Dr. Seuss books and other books that were similar that I could read all by myself. My favorite was Green Eggs and Ham or Go Dog Go!
ReplyDeleteCongrats about getting into the paper!