22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Power Trip Can Put You in a Sticky Situation!, February 23, 2001
This review is from: Bartholomew and the Oobleck: (Caldecott Honor Book) (Classic Seuss) (Hardcover)
The King of Didd loved to look into the sky. But he was increasingly unhappy with what he saw -- only rain, snow, fog, and sunshine. As a powerful king, he decided to change things so he could get more.
The book is a wonderful look at the perils of getting what you think you want, a great lesson for children to learn at an early age. Unlike other Dr. Seuss books, this one is mostly in prose. The color in the illustrations is limited to green to flesh out the oobleck. The drawings and the humor though are first rate Dr. Seuss!
Bartholomew is the King's page boy, and the king's source of common sense. When the king decides to call in his magicians to create oobleck, Bartholomew's warnings are unheeded. Even the magicians give a warning, for they have never made oobleck before and don't quite know how it will turn out. Nevertheless, the king orders the magicians to go ahead. When the first green drops hit, the king decides to declare a holiday.
But soon there are problems. Oobleck is very sticky! And it's coming down in ever increasing quantities. What do you do?
The resolution is a particularly good one, for it reinforces the moral that any willful thing we decide to do can be undone if we unbend our will. (It also encourages good manners.)
Reading this book reminded me of when I was about five. I only liked to eat junk food. I begged my parents to buy ever larger quantities. Finally, my mother said. "All right. You're in charge of buying food for yourself this week. You'll have only that to eat." I stocked up on potato chips, candy, soft drinks, and other wonderful snacks. By the fourth day, I couldn't face any more junk food. I begged my mother to take back the job of selecting food for me!
After you finish enjoying the story, I suggest that you also talk to your child about how to get rid of unexpected substances. This can be a great encourager of creativity. For years, I have used an interview question that I learned during a scholarship interview while I was in high school. What would you do if you woke up one morning and the world was covered to a depth of 30 feet by ping pong balls?
A good lesson to reinforce is to encourage your child to consider what could go wrong, and how to handle that, before trying to make some change. That approach is good training for the realities of life.
Enjoy what you have!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The power of two little words!, May 12, 1999
This review is from: Bartholomew and the Oobleck: (Caldecott Honor Book) (Classic Seuss) (Hardcover)
Boy, this book takes me back when I was very young. I really enjoyed it. And, now that I'm considerably older, I still enjoy it. It is a story about a king who is bored with the things that fall from the sky (for example, rain, snow, etc.) and orders his magicians to make something new. They come up with oobleck, a green, gooey substance. But, when it begins to fall, it messes up everything and the king's page, Bartholomew, teaches the king the power of the words, "I'm sorry." The book was a 1950 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a children's book.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be Careful What You Wish For -- You Might Get It, August 27, 2001
This review is from: Bartholomew and the Oobleck: (Caldecott Honor Book) (Classic Seuss) (Hardcover)
Kids "get it", but do adults? I was surprised that my young neices and nephews got so much out of this story. The notion that wise men are often doing foolish things, that kings are often bad leaders, that the whims of the powerful wreak havoc on everyone else when indulged, and that children are the future (for better or worse), all come together here. And there are some things in life that are best left as they are, but that's not obvious until they're altered. Perhaps weather manipualation will become as common as irrigation and power distribution in the future. But until then, this (like many "Dr. Seuss" titles) is a book that uses the vehicle of a children's tale to make some very profound statements that speak to adults as well.
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