Started by Dr. Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and illustrated by Lane Smith, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! is a joyous ode to individuali...
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Dec 07, 2011
Marian
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Dr. Seuss is one of my favorite Childrens' authors. I love almost everything he has written. This book however is not one of my favorites. It was only partially written and illustrated upon his death so Prelutsky and Smith stepped up to finish it for him. I am not impressed! The illustrations are definitely different than the normal Dr. Seuss aesthetic and, while I missed the whimsy of what Dr. Seuss had intended (his preliminary sketches were included in the back of my book I didn't mind i
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Sep 29, 2009
Laura
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This book was real cute-it was different from other Dr. Seuss books, but that’s probably because it has different authors that added to it once he passed. It’s based on a school in Dinkerville; the teachers all have crazy names with interesting classes, such as Miss Bobble who teaches listening or Miss Wobble who teaches smelling. There are also lots of other people, such as the nurse, cooks or the gym teacher who hoists elephants up onto his shoulders. One day the principal came and told the
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Jun 30, 2009
Jack Kirby and the X-man
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I'm always wary of artistic works released after an artists death. There are reasons artists don't release everything they do, and to go against this wish smacks of gold-digging. But Random House has done a fantastic job with this work - which Dr. Seuss was obviously excited about, but never had time to finish. Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith have taken some a few sketches and rhymes from Dr Seuss and turned them into a coherent story. Instead of a real Dr Seuss book I look at this more as
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Jun 23, 2008
A teaching colleague recommended this book recently and I'm so glad she did! This book was a work in progress that Ted never got to finish, but thanks to the efforts of two artful gentlemen and Dr. Seuss's editor, this story was finished and brought to life post-mortem. If you are a teacher in today's test-based pressure cooker, you will appreciate Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!
Dec 08, 2011
Louise
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An interesting posthumous book from Dr Seuss. Dr Seuss had the concept of this book and preliminary images done before his death, but the book was by no means complete. Dr Seuss's editor arranged for Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith to complete it. And they've done a good job, and paid homage to Dr Seuss in both text and pictures. Diffendoofer school is different- the teachers teach listening, smelling, laughing and yelling. It's an odd reading experience reading a book that seems almost like Seuss
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Oct 13, 2011
Chrissy
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I absolutely LOVED this book! There was so much detail in all of the illustrations, words, and the whole book was put together so well. The collaboration of these three authors/illustrators was genius. I wrote an analysis of this book, and couldn't stop raving about how great I thought it was. This is by far my favorite Dr. Seuss story I've read so far. It was significantly longer in word count that the typical Seuss book, but it was well worth it. Most of the illustrations were rather quirky, c
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Feb 19, 2010
Ronyell
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“Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!” is one of the most unique books created by Dr. Seuss since the book was created after his death and since the book was partially written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Lane Smith. “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!” is definitely a great book for fans of Dr. Seuss’ books.
Dr. Seuss’ and Jack Prelutsky’s writing combined creates one hilarious and creative story about one of the most inventive and surreal schools in the world. Both Dr. Seuss and Jack Pr More...
Dr. Seuss’ and Jack Prelutsky’s writing combined creates one hilarious and creative story about one of the most inventive and surreal schools in the world. Both Dr. Seuss and Jack Pr More...
May 06, 2010
Karissa
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This is a fantastic book! I like it 10 times more once I read the informational part about how it is based on the original drawings and verses from Dr. Seuss. This was the book he was working on before he passed away. It is really neat to look at his original work and then see how Prelutsky and Smith transformed it. This would be an awesome book for a lesson to teach children about the writing/illustration process. Besides the other numerous ways it can be used in the classroom, this is a great
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Jan 21, 2008
C'est Moi ♪
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OMG...Remember how Mr. Cox would always read this book to us??? :'] good times...
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Oct 19, 2010
John
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I was watching an interview with Lane Smith recently, and he happened to mention this book—which as a Dr. Seuss fan really caught my attention. I can't believe I never heard of this before! After Dr. Seuss passed away his editor approached Jack Prelutsky and Smith with the idea of completing an unfinished Seuss manuscript. The result is interesting, but for me, the highlight of this book is the inclusion of the rough pages Seuss left behind that give some insight into his working process. Worth
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Aug 01, 2009
Dolly
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This was a terrific collaboration, with Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith blending some of Dr. Seuss' notes and sketches with their own quirky rhymes and pictures to make a classic tale about the wonders of wonderful teachers, ones who are different and make you think. Our girls love the Magic School Bus stories with Ms. Frizzle and I think she'd fit in great in this school. Great story by the editor at the end about how the book came together, featuring more sketches and notes "Ted" mad
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Jun 02, 2008
Skylar
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Dr. Suess began a tale about a "different" sort of teacher, but he died before he finished it. So, his editor had it finished for him. If it had remained a silly tale about a silly teacher, I might have read it several times. Instead, those who finished it turned it into a didactic polemic against traditional education, where the enemy is conformity and order.
While I'm certainly no proponent of the No Child Left Behind Act, I am skeptical that children who have spent thei More...
While I'm certainly no proponent of the No Child Left Behind Act, I am skeptical that children who have spent thei More...
Jan 14, 2012
Codie
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Who doesn't like Dr. Suess? I know I like him, and this is one of my favorites. In this easy and fast paced book, we learn all about Diffendoofer School. This school has some pretty off the wall teachers, but they sound amazing. One day, the school has to take a special test and if they do not pass, the school will be torn down (AYP, anyone?). It that happens, the students will have to go to school in a deary town called Flobbertown. Never fear, Diffendoofer passes the test and everyone is happy
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Feb 11, 2011
Kerri
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A wonderful book to read to all ages of students preparing for testing time! This book shows how teachers have confdence in their students because they know they have taught the students well. Never be afraid to have fun while you are teaching! The teacher did in this book, and her students scored a 10000000% on their test scores! The book also offers a a 'how this book came to be' at the very end. A great way to show students how books start out, and what they can become!
Mar 05, 2011
Brenda
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This was a read aloud buy a second grade librarian on Read Across America day in honor of Dr. Seuss. What a lovely way to get children interested in his books. I was pleasantly surprised how much they enjoyed all of the illustrations at the end of the book and discussion about how Prelutsky and Lane Smith were able to use Dr. Seuss illustrations and notes to complete his story.
Sep 11, 2011
Katie
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This book is great! Teachers should all be as goofy and spontanious as the teachers in the book. A lot of teachers, especially older ones, seem to continue teaching so they can get money but it brings children down. Energetic teachers are always the ones the children remember. They are the ones that stick out in their minds because they make an impact on the student's life. I also like how the back of the book tells how this book came about.
Nov 12, 2010
Pauline
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I have NO idea what took me so long to discover this book!?! What an interesting story behind the story...true collaboration even after Dr. Seuss was no longer with us...the story itself is charming and meaningful to me personally as it is about a quirky teacher and how she refuses to test-prep the kids to death. Creativity and fun reign supreme in her classroom! YAY!
May 04, 2011
Aida
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Like the children in this story, I find I have a command of what some people might call 'thoroughly useless information' (see Calvin), but not so much in the way of useful skills. I live in hope that one day my talents for absorbing the names of fictional characters and rejecting the square root of pi (or whatever) will be put to good use. :D
Jun 29, 2008
Paula
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Coupon in hand, I rushed to Borders to buy this book, came home,read it and LOVED it! The engaging pictures, nonsensical rhyming words and the fact that the story is about a teacher and a school, well, it was GREAT! I have to say I enjoyed reading the "How This Book Came to Be" section as much as(if not more than) the book itself. I then printed out an 11-page article on Dr. Seuss and learned a LOT about his life. One of my other personally favorite Dr. Seuss books, "Oh, the P
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Mar 07, 2010
Beth
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My principal used this book to excite students about taking a state test.
Perhaps my favorite part is:
"We've taught you that the earth is round,
That red and white make pink,
And something else that matters more-
We've taught you how to think."
Perhaps my favorite part is:
"We've taught you that the earth is round,
That red and white make pink,
And something else that matters more-
We've taught you how to think."
Oct 18, 2009
Hailey
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Great book, but it's not actually by Dr. Seuss. I believe they call it a collaboration of his work. In other words, he wrote out his idea and then dies and then someone else put the book together (and of course included some of their own ideas).
Mar 11, 2010
I just found this book in my shelves at home- don't know if I have ever read it before, but it is a treasure for any teacher. Celebrates teachers who teach creatively. A joy to read. I highly recommend it for every one in this group.
Sep 28, 2010
Ana
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I first "listened" to this book while it was read aloud to us by a former principal (my boss) during a staff meeting. It stayed with me years after leaving the teaching profession and find it a good honor to Dr.Seuss' memory.
Aug 10, 2011
Katherine
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An Amazing book! I loved it! Dr. Seuss can never do wrong, its good to see a heart felt book from someone who truley understands education and the issues that underly and can turn it into a fabulous book!
Jul 01, 2010
Christie
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Theodore Geisel's unfinished manuscript, and the finished publication is a tribute to his talent. In a world obsessed with student assessments, this is Dr. Seuss's commentary on the educational preoccupation of teaching to the test instead of teaching students to be academic learners. Fun read aloud!
Mar 02, 2011
Mr. Stortz
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One of my favorites by the rhyming master. I love the message -Schools should celebrate thinking! Although this one had to be published posthumously, I sure am glad it was.
Jan 27, 2010
Mary
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This book has an excellent section on "how this book came to be", especially since this is one of many books published posthumously. One of my favorite Seuss books!
Jun 07, 2011
Tina
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I love all things Dr. Seuss, especially the original Dr. Seuss books. This is the good Dr. Seuss. This is a book that I'd add to the home bookshelves. :)
Nov 14, 2011
Ashley
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This book is a very good book that uses rhyme. Children always enjoy dr. Suess books and you can teach the children about whot Dr. Suess is.
