Sunday, July 4, 2010

Book Review: Oh The Thinks You Can Think by Dr Seuss


Some readers might think that this is a children's book and as such it can only be appreciated by the very young or those with children; well think again! I read "Oh The Thinks You Can Think" for the first time just a few weeks ago and enjoyed it immensely, not only because of my ongoing appreciation of silliness and child-like charm, but because the book works on a number of levels.

Those who know Dr Seuss's work will know what to expect, word play, made-up creatures with silly names, amusing rhyming text and colourful, surreal illustrations. Those who don't know Dr Seuss will find a world that the imaginative can immerse themselves in; obviously children have the most fertile imaginations, but anyone who has a philosophical mind and/or enjoys childish silliness will appreciate this book for either or both reasons.

Oh The Thinks You Can Think has no plot, it has no central character and it is about nothing other than thinking about anything you can imagine; essentially it is a book that encourages children and parents to use their imaginations together, but it also tempts older readers to free their minds of preconceived ideas and imagine like they haven't imagined since childhood.

The writing and wordplay by Dr Seuss are wonderful features and I particularly like the silly creatures, "Snuvs wearing gloves", "Guffs" and "Befts that go left" all brought to life with delightful pictures. Oh The Thinks You Can Think is a wonderful book that is only hampered by the fact that it is probably too short; instead of just relying on the text parents need to encourage thought, interaction and conversation to get the most out of this book with their kids.

Oh The Thinks You Can Think is highly recommended to those parents of small children who want to read simple, but imaginative, well-illustrated books together and talk about them together. I would also recommend this title to Dr Seuss fans who have never come across this book before and to those free-thinking readers who like a trip back to childhood. The only thing wrong with it is that there is not enough of it.

Score: 9/10

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I do agree with you for the most part, but I don't think Dr. Seuss would be appreciated by adults and teens.

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