Customer Reviews

Gerald McBoing Boing (Classic Seuss)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This was a favorite book in my family in the early 50s. My older sister still has our copy. I've spent years searching old book stores for it, but like Eloise, the best always return. It's an exciting book for kids of all ages. I'm going to get copies for all my children so they can share it when they have families of their own.

As an elementary school teacher I not only know and appreciate a good book, but I am even more amazed when a book offers some type of character enhancement. As a child, my mother read this book to me, and thirty years later it is still my favorite. I now read it to my kids, and love the message that "it's okay to be different."

I'm happy to see that Gerald Mcboing Boing is back for a new generation of readers. I fondly remember the book from my preschool days (and I have married children now).Gerald's misery at being different and rejected because of his inability to speak and then finding fame and self pride is presented in a charming manner that is easy to identify with. Its a short book with lots of funny pictures, just right for bedtime story.

and treasured the book until I was a teenager and lent it to an unscrupulous neighbor who never returned it. She was a speech teacher and wanted to show it to her class. I've never been able to understand why such a fabulous Dr. Seuss book was never reissued. So hooray! I'm buying several today to send to my nieces and nephews. And one for me -- to share with MY class!

This book caught my eye when I saw "Dr.Seuss" on the cover, but also because of the fantastic artwork by Mel Crawford. I absolutely love the rhymes and making all the various sounds which accompany the text. I have a 2 year old daughter who looks forward to each sound with eager anticipation! It's easy to slam this book for being trenched in 1950's family life, and to condemn it for painting Gerald as universally unaccepted. Reading to your child is supposed to be fun. Hopefully it will also foster a desire to learn to read. This book was not written to demonstrate to children that our lives can be unfair and unequal. If after reading this book you feel uneasy about its subtext then a few things are wrong: 1) you are reading too much into the book 2) you should examine your own relationship with your child and 3) you missed the point of the book -- to provide fun and lively reading material that just might inspire a child to pick up a book on his or her own.

I've read a couple reviews of this book that say it has a "bad" or "negative" message. One review even said the message "stinks". Well, these people are obviously entirely missing the point. In using metaphor and allegory, Dr. Seuss (amusingly as was his style) is shining a light on society's downfalls, not saying "different is bad".
Come on people, this is a great book. Very bouncy, very fun. Like all of Dr Seuss' stuff it brings a smile to my face, even as a jaded, cynical 30-something (did I just use that term?) year old. Lighten up, have fun! Fun is Good !!! (remember?)

I worshipped this book as a child. I still have my old copy that I now read to my four year old. She loves the book as much as I do. Interestingly, in my copy the author is anonymous, so the author as "Dr Suess" is new information to me. Although the other reviews do talk about the politically incorrect angles of this book, I think it brings about an excellent opportunity to discuss the way the world used to be. Particularly in terms of how we treated people with disabilities, as well as parenting fifties style.

Mostly, it is a wildly entertaining and creative story. Fun to read over and over again. The illustrations are great too. Obviously it has some sensitive material that is not dealt with in a very current fashion but I think the successful ending demonstrates that there is a place for everyone on this planet.

I loved finding out that this story was written by Dr. Suess!

I knew this book first as the UPA cartoon. It's a great book, and Amazon.com also sells the cartoon, which is wonderful. (The video includes 3 addtional Gerald McB-B cartoons that are by "T. Hee" rather than Dr. Seuss and are not so good. But the original cartoon is worth the price.)

"This is the story of Gerald McCloy, and the strange thing that happened to that little boy." Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-91) is well remembered as one of the greatest of children's literature authors, and this is one of his funniest stories. It tells the story of Gerald McCloy who, when he learns to talk, makes realistic sound effects, rather than words. He cuckoos and honks and clip-clops, instead.

The story itself is well organized, and extremely funny. The text follows the rhyming style that Dr. Seuss is famous for - making it fun for children, and easy on adult readers. (I don't know why it is, but I really do prefer children's books that rhyme.) Also, the illustrations are quite funny.

My four-year-old is a huge Gerald McBoing Boing fan - she loves the silly things that Gerald does, and she loves having this book read to her. So, this book is a bug success in our house, and we think it will be one in yours. If you have a little reader, then get Gerald McBoing Boing, and spread the fun!

Gerald McBoing
I recommend this book to ages 5 to 8 because the pictures are good for little kids. They have words like boing boing. Here are some quotes I like. " Now he is rich he has friends and he is well fed he cant say words but he says boing boing instead." This book is similar to the all the books Dr. Seuss wrote.