Book Summary

Jay and Kay have a lot of friends and pets. Dr. Seuss is the king of imaginary pets who will do your bidding. He puts words together in a rhyming scheme and makes up a name for the pet to fit each scheme. Some of the pages are off-topic, such as Ned not being able to fit in his bed or reading a list of traits backwards (while standing upside-down) pretty much makes for the same story. Dr. Seuss can rhyme like no other.

Content

This book is appropriate for children ages 2-7. It is meant to be read aloud quickly. It covers many concepts such as counting to eleven, colors, cause and effect (one must take the bird out of one's ear to hear), and lots of opposites (old and new, sad and glad, here and there, thin and fat, fast and slow, high and low, near and far, and left and right). The concept of opposites may be difficult for younger readers.

Illustrations

Dr. Seuss is also the illustrator of the book. His made-up creatures are very imaginative and funny, which helps the reader form a mental picture (this concept may be difficult for younger readers, who are more rooted in background knowledge and may have difficulty understanding what a Zans is).

Format

The rhyming schemes are meant to be read quickly, almost like a tongue-twister. The book is a little long for younger readers.

Overall Evaluation

My overall impression of this book is that it is just plain silly fun that also teaches a lesson. Many of Seuss' books teach the lesson that people and pets are different, and that being different is okay! This becomes more evident as the story moves from fish to more outlandish creatures.

For Future Professionals to Use With Children

This book could be used to help teach counting to eleven, opposites, cause and effect, and to a lesser extent, colors.