A Hatful of Seuss: Five Favorite Dr. Seuss Stories (Hardcover)

by Dr. Seuss (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This collection of five complete, illustrated Dr. Seuss classics is a "hatful," but you'd have to have a Cat-in-the-Hat-sized chapeau to contain all the treasures in this hefty book. Within its pages you'll find Theodor Seuss Geisel's exuberant creations Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949), If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1954), The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961), and Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book (1962). In Bartholomew and the Oobleck, a non-rhyming Seuss story, prepare for an eyeful of green goo. In If I Ran the Zoo, young Gerald McGrew decides he would make a few changes if he ran the zoo--including the acquisition of more unusual beasts (such as an Elephant-Cat) from places "quite out-of-the-way." In addition to the potentially unsettling concept of traversing continents in search of wild beasts to trap and cage, there are a couple of dated references that parents may want to preview before reading to kids. For example, McGrew proclaims, "I'll hunt in the mountains of Zomba-ma-Tant/With helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant,/And capture a fine fluffy bird called the Bustard/Who only eats custard with sauce made of mustard."

As for the rest of this delightful collection, Horton Hears a Who! is a tale that teaches us "a person's a person, no matter how small." And of course, you may remember the Star-Belly Sneetches, the "snooty old smarties" who pranced antagonistically in front of the Plain-Belly Sneetches, or Mrs. McCave who had 23 sons and named them all Dave. Finally, Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book is about the snortiest snorers, the curious sleepwalking Crandalls, World-Champion Sleep-Talkers, and other somnambulant types--a perfect bedtime finale to a book that could keep youngsters entertained all night. (All ages)

Review
Five Seuss classics are packed into this title; from the Sleep Book to Horton Hears a Who. This will provide a lasting edition for parents who plan on re-using the Seuss classics in a read-aloud format for kids: libraries, too, will find it more durable than the smaller throw-away board books and kids' individual hardbacks. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679883886
• ISBN-13: 978-0679883883
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,634 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good story selection, questionable book quality, November 9, 2002

By	Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There is little to add to the chorus of praise for the works of Dr. Seuss. The content is unimpeachable and the choices of his works for inclusion here are a good random mix.

That said, the book itself has a flaw common to books of this type. It is not durable enough for extended use by children. Because it contains multiple stories, it will see more use than a single storied book. Books of this size and length need the strongest bindings and reinforcing possible. A "Curious George" compendium that we own that is made similarly to the Seuss book fell apart after a few readthroughs, and only the adults handled it. The spine of the Seuss book is weakening after only a year of ownership. Manufacturers need to offer us better quality.

I also must say it is disappointing that no complete collection of Suess's material exists. His entire works would be quite large, but it is still odd that no one has seen fit to put everything he wrote for children in a multi-volume set. The best we have at this time is the five selection book here.

65 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Delay - Buy Today!!!, March 17, 1998

By	Cyndilou "Cynthia L." (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

Are you a fan of Dr. Seuss?
Do you drink it in like juice?
You must read this book of his.
He surely does know his biz.
This five-book book is really great -
Its purchase you must accelerate!
Read the Who, Zoo, Sneetches, Sleep
Barthlomew, too - don't be sheep...
This book to your collection add
If you don't, you will be mad.
Parents all should grab this quick
Kids will love it, to it stick;
Sisters, brothers, cousins, all
With this book in love will fall.
It teaches many great values, too -
(My fave is Horton Hears a Who!)
Yes, this book is really great,
Please read it soon - don't be late! :)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great and economical, November 9, 2001

By	Robert J. Crawford (Balmette Talloires, France) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In this day and age when children's books are getting prohibitively expensive, this book is a great deal.

While I knew the stories as a kid, I got to re-live them with my daughter with this book. She loves to read and re-read them with me, and she asks questions about the stories and the values that are in them. This is first rate stuff, the kind of thing that sticks in a child's mind for their entire life with their quirky detail, humor, and vivid stories you can identify with.

So often, it is of individuals who find the courage to defy the authorities and mainstream opinion to do what they think is right.

Warmly recommended.