On Beyond Zebra! (Classic Seuss) (Hardcover)

~ Dr. Seuss (Author), Theodor Seuss Geisel (Author) "Said Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell, My very young friend who is learning to spell: "The A is for Ape..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A thoroughly Seussian tweak of the alphabet-book tradition, On Beyond Zebra is about all the letters that most people ignore--the ones that come after Z. Our hero (instantly recognizable to most Seuss fans as the boy who captured Thing One and Thing Two in The Cat in the Hat) takes his young friend, Conrad Cornelius O'Donald O'Dell, on a guided tour of all the weird creatures that begin with letters such as Yuzz, Wumbus, and Glikk. "And Nuh is the letter I use to spell Nutches, Who live in small caves, known as Nitches, for hutches." The message is pretty simple: the alphabet pins down boring old "reality," but if you explore further afield there are more interesting worlds to discover. "So, on beyond Z! It's high time you were shown, / That you really don't know all there is to be known." Explorers in need of guidance will even find a table of useful new letters (a beyondabet? a WumbaGlikk?) in the back. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr

Review

"Children will be intrigued and delighted with the nonsensical alphabet that begins after Z."--Booklist.   -- Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (September 12, 1955)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394800842
• ISBN-13: 978-0394800844
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,748 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite possibly Dr. Seuss's greatest work, November 2, 2000

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"On Beyond Zebra" was my favorite of Dr. Seuss's books when I was a child, and as an adult I appreciate the insight and humor of this classic even more. The concept of the book is simple: the narrator introduces young Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to the weird and wonderful letters that come after "z" (yes, AFTER "z"), and provides the wide-eyed child with a marvelous bestiary of the Seussian creatures whose names begin with these letters.

Actually, Seuss's post-"z" letters appear to constitute a syllabary rather than a true extended alphabet, but why quibble over technical details? The letters/syllabics and their accompanying creatures represent Seuss at his most delightful. And best of all, he leaves the door open for readers to create their own extension to the alphabet/syllabary!

More than mere whimsy, "On Beyond Zebra" is a truly mind-expanding book. Through fantasy and humor, Seuss challenges us to open our minds to new possibilities; he encourages us to tear down artificial walls that restrict our intellectual and creative growth. This book would be as useful in teaching pedagogical theory to college students as it is for entertaining children. "On Beyond Zebra" is a triumph.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Stimulating, May 22, 1999

By	Michael A. Bell ([e-mail]) (Powell, TN (USA)) - See all my reviews

The book deals with going beyond the conventional alphabet. Besides being very entertaining (for children and adults alike), this book promotes exploration to the limits of imagination. Ultimately, the story will lead the young reader to a more open mind for new ideas, and an appreciation for different perspectives. It stimulates both the imagination and the heart. The book instills children with the desire and the attitude that will lead them to reach beyond the limitations of standard written expression, and an acceptance of alternative symbolism -- so important in modern technical education. My wife and I both love to read it to our child, who in turn loves to hear how one young lad learned to go beyond Z to discover amazing new worlds.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Shining Example of the Imagination of Dr. Seuss, November 16, 1999

By A Customer

I remember this book as a kid. When I first tried reading it, "On Beyond Zebra" provided a serious challenge as a beginning reader. Only Dr. Seuss could have come up with the idea of this book and the characters and names which populate it. His "outside the box" imagination was a major influence in my creative development, and "On Beyond Zebra" is my personal favorite Dr. Seuss book. I haven't seen a copy of this book in years, but I'll never forget it!