The Sleep Book: 50th Anniversary Edition (Classic Seuss) [Library Binding]

Dr. Seuss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1962 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Classic Seuss

"Deliberately calculated to make its readers yawn. No one could resist those zillions of astonishing sleepyheads."--The New York Times.  

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Illus. in color. "Deliberately calculated to make its readers yawn. No one could resist those zillions of astonishing sleepyheads."--The New York Times.  

From the Back Cover

A Chunky Book® with an added surprise--a punch-out piece to play with.

Everyone loves Dr. Seuss!

A true original, he wrote and illustrated over 50 classic children's books with total sales of more than 100 million copies. For children of all ages. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 12, 1962)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039490091X
• ISBN-13: 978-0394900919
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 0.4 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #551,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"A person's a person, no matter how small," Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say. "Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted."

Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped millions of kids learn to read.

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1925, he went to Oxford University, intending to acquire a doctorate in literature. At Oxford, Geisel met Helen Palmer, whom he wed in 1927. Upon his return to America later that year, Geisel published cartoons and humorous articles for Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at that time. His cartoons also appeared in major magazines such as Life, Vanity Fair, and Liberty. Geisel gained national exposure when he won an advertising contract for an insecticide called Flit. He coined the phrase, "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" which became a popular expression.

Geisel published his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, in 1937, after 27 publishers rejected it.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, an Academy Award, three Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and three Caldecott Honors, Geisel wrote and illustrated 44 books. While Theodor Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book!, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dr Seuss's Sleep Book (Hardcover)

My son received this book as a gift when he was four. I had never heard of it before. The first time I read it to my son, it seemed incredibly long, but after a couple of readings, I loved the book as much as my son does. Now I'm thrilled when I see that he has picked this book for his bedtime story. I never tire of reading about how sleepers are counted and the sleep-walking Crandalls and the salesmen with their Zizzer-Zoof seeds. And the illustrations are wonderful! The page near the end which shows a multitude of creatures asleep for the night is a favorite -- my son can look at and talk about that page for 10 minutes! I am sorry I missed out on this book growing up, but at least my son hasn't!

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely mesmerizing, May 29, 2001

By 

Dr Mezmo (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dr Seuss's Sleep Book (Hardcover)

This is possibly the best of Dr. Seuss. It was my favorite as a child, and it is my favorite today.

Many of Seuss' books focus on characters and stories (Cat in the Hat), or on his delightful wordplay (Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish). The Sleep Book focuses instead on almost pure imagination.

Because of this, it may not have quite the marketing potential of his other books. There is no mascot, no catch-phrase. You won't find a Sleep Book t-shirt or plush toy.

What you will find here are lavish illustrations - huge surreal landscapes with impossible creatures sleeping in every available nook and cranny. You will find an exploration of an entire world of creatures as each prepares for the night in its own unique way.

You will also find creatures who are not quite perfect little sleepers. If your child is a sleepwalker, a sleeptalker, or a snorer, they will find creatures who do this every night as a sport. With this simple elegant device, Dr. Seuss manages to comfort children who may have these difficulties in his delightfully subtle fashion.

I know of no other book that is quite so good at putting a noisy mind to rest. Maybe Goodnight Moon. Maybe.

Every creature that sleeps should own this book.

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................, September 20, 2002

By 

Zinta Aistars "Writer & Editor" (Portage, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dr Seuss's Sleep Book (Hardcover)

Shake myself awake again to tell my sleepy view... of Dr. Seuss's "Sleep Book," a childhood favorite that has survived all the insomniac years of growing up and turning a bit more vintage. So many of my childhood books have vanished somewhere along that winding time-route... somewhere on those many travels and address changes, moved from one previous life to another former life to another life begun today. Lost, but for this one. And when a family pet took a toothy chomp along the binding, no matter, I had to buy another. Children's book? Ah, for the child in all of us! For we all sleep, and we all dream. The first stretchy yawn is as delicious as the final one, and the overall feel of this Seussian masterpiece is cozy, and warm, and comforting. I remember well my fascination with the unique characters as a child, with all their quirky sleep routines. I found them fully as endearing when reading the book, over and over again, to my own children. With anticipation of grandchildren looming somewhere within the next decade... I look forward to sharing these cozy yawns with yet another generation. The book is a timeless classic.