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173rd out of 935 books
—
639 voters
McElligot's Pool
by
Dr. Seuss
Who knows what fantastic fish might swim in McElligot's Pool!
Hardcover, 64 pages
Published
September 12th 1947
by Random House Books for Young Readers
(first published 1947)
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6th out of 236 books
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17 voters
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Fanciful fish, fun, fantastic, far out, fanciful fish are everywhere in this story! Children instantly connect with Dr. Seuss's books because of his endless whimsical imaginative far-reaching scenarious that he makes come to life with his endless supply of made up words and terms. It's the same kind of fast moving creative imagination that young children often express to create whole new worlds, languages, and beings.
When confronted laughingly by the nay-saying farmer, "Young man, you're sort o...more
When confronted laughingly by the nay-saying farmer, "Young man, you're sort o...more
“McElligot’s Pool” is one of Dr. Seuss’ earlier books and it is about how a young boy explains to an old man how he imagines that there will be millions of fish of different shapes and colors in McElligot’s Pool. “McElligot’s Pool” may be a bit behind for today’s kids, but it is truly a creative book that started up Dr. Seuss’ popular line of rhyming books.
Dr. Seuss’ illustrations are truly creative as the fishes are shown in many different colors and shapes, especially when the boy starts descr...more
Dr. Seuss’ illustrations are truly creative as the fishes are shown in many different colors and shapes, especially when the boy starts descr...more
Well, I am really puzzled by my niece and nephew's reactions to McElligot's Pool! While I was reading this to the kids, I really had the impression that neither of them were too impressed with this book. They didn't seem tuned in, they certainly didn't seem enthusiastically engaged, and I was pretty sure that they thought the book was too long. When we were done reading our stories tonight, though, I asked them which one they liked best, and this one was at the top of their list! My niece said,...more
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Oh, Dr. Seuss. What an outside-the-box thinker he was!
I can't say I was as taken with this book as I was with other Seuss classics, Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat. This was an alright book and quite fun. I liked all the different fish that Seuss describes and pictures. Rhyming is always a win in my book. Perhaps having not read this before - and therefore having no nostalgic feelings towards it - made me rate this lower than others.
I can't say I was as taken with this book as I was with other Seuss classics, Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat. This was an alright book and quite fun. I liked all the different fish that Seuss describes and pictures. Rhyming is always a win in my book. Perhaps having not read this before - and therefore having no nostalgic feelings towards it - made me rate this lower than others.
As with any Dr. Seuss book, the illustrations are vintage Seuss. Fun and colorful, they'll bring a smile to any reader's face. McElligot's Pool is the story of a young boy who patiently fishes at a pool that is cluttered with trash in the hopes of catching at least one fish. A farmer who happens to be passing by calls Marco a fool for having such dream. What I love about this story is the message Marco conveys. He sits at the pool, patiently waiting for just one fish to bite. He explains to the...more
I loved McElligot's Pool book as a child, and remember it to this day. As per his usual, Dr. Seuss does a brilliant job of weaving important messages into his books, while keeping things light, and without being heavy-handed. This book touches upon themes of ecological conservation, and specifically issues with littering and with dumping trash, while making a fun romp filled with imagination. It also deals with the theme of the importance of pursuing your dreams. Many kids will love this one, an...more
Um. I know I read this in the last couple of years. I know I did. No clue where the review is. Well, a fun book of imaginative fish with classic Seuss illustration and rhyming.
6/25/10 Worked very well in craft storytime (introducing the craft of making paper fish). Went right along with the silliness of the other books. And the rhyming kept attention and flow. Asking the kids about this different fish filled time as we panned the book. Too long for the couple of toddler kids, but I did "warn" a...more
6/25/10 Worked very well in craft storytime (introducing the craft of making paper fish). Went right along with the silliness of the other books. And the rhyming kept attention and flow. Asking the kids about this different fish filled time as we panned the book. Too long for the couple of toddler kids, but I did "warn" a...more
This was the first Dr. Seuss book to win an award, in this case a 1948 Caldecott honor. It was the sixth book he published, but it definitely shows Seuss's brilliant imagination in the number and kinds of fish that young Marco believes that he can catch in McElligot's Pool, despite the farmer warning him that it's a trash dump and he won't catch anything. It is an interesting book because Seuss not only employs his traditional black and white drawings, but also some of this color paintings as we...more
just because something is unlikely, doesn't mean it's impossible.
the message i got from this story is that:
(i) you should never let people discourage you from your dreams
and
(ii) sometimes the dreams themselves make the journey worthwhile
plus, i loved all the gorgeous pictures of fish. definitely blows one fish two fish red fish blue fish out of the water.
heh heh heh. pun intended.
the message i got from this story is that:
(i) you should never let people discourage you from your dreams
and
(ii) sometimes the dreams themselves make the journey worthwhile
plus, i loved all the gorgeous pictures of fish. definitely blows one fish two fish red fish blue fish out of the water.
heh heh heh. pun intended.
On the surface McElligot's pool looks like a poor fishing spot without promise of much beyond trash, but a young boy imagines it connects to bigger bodies of water and all the strange fish that might be swimming below.
Every other spread is in color. The imaginative array of fish is impressive; my favorite were the dog and cat fish.
I also really appreciated the positive tone of this book. It begins with a naysayer which is quickly countered by an optimist (the boy). That's my kind of story.
Every other spread is in color. The imaginative array of fish is impressive; my favorite were the dog and cat fish.
I also really appreciated the positive tone of this book. It begins with a naysayer which is quickly countered by an optimist (the boy). That's my kind of story.
Seuss takes verse to a completely different place, far from serious or thoughtful or reflective, but instead weaving the ridiculous into poetry that is a blast to read out loud, engaging the reader and listeners at a different level. His illustrations of backgrounds and landscapes are as imaginative and amusing as all the creatures that he draws, which in this case are the multitude of fish. This is also a great book with the implied theme of holding on to your dreams.
For Dr. Seuss' birthday we read many books as a class. This story happened to be this year's class favorite book we read. My students loved that the pictures went from black/white to color in a pattern. They discussed the parts of the story that were reality and fantasy. This Dr. Seuss book is one that is not as popular as some of the others, but it really sparked some interesting conversation in my classroom.
Marco is fishing in a tiny pool when a farmer tells him there's nothing in that pool but trash people have tossed in there. He'll never catch a fish in that pool in 50 years. Marco, however, thinks maybe he's wrong. Then he imagines all the amazing fish that just might be down there. Personally, I really like the fish who loves flowers. So swirly and pretty. :)
Creativity at its best! As one of Dr. Seuss early masterpieces, this book tells a tale of many kinds of fish in McElligot's pool. I can imagine this being a good story for writer's workshop to create the strangest and most colorful fish in the pool or as a story to read before visiting the aquarium. Encourages creative minds that think outside the box.
While I enjoyed the rhyming, I could not suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy this book. The fact that he was teaching kids that fish would migrate from a salt water environment to a freshwater pond, through underground brooks, completely lost me. The salinity issues alone... Overall not one of my favorites from Teddy G.
It was a cute idea. I loved how the boy kept insisting he'd catch somthing even though it was a nasty pond that had unsuitable living conditions. However, the kids I read it to had trouble comprehending it, and their attention wandered. I had to explain it a bit for them to understand what was happening.
Fantastic book for kids! So imaginative and creative. Easy read that children will find delightful!
Dr. Seuss is always brilliant! His stories and rhymes are fun and entertaining! Some of my all time favorites!! Such a great way to entertain children and get them interested in reading!
Dr. Seuss is always brilliant! His stories and rhymes are fun and entertaining! Some of my all time favorites!! Such a great way to entertain children and get them interested in reading!
I'm a huge fan of Dr Seuss books! I love how they rhyme and are always hilarious and amusing to read. This was a cute story that is not only fun to read about a little boy fishing, but could also be used for small children to learn about different waterways. Very good book!
This is a pretty good book. The concept of it is great, but I just think that it's a little bit longer than it needs to be. After a while he sort of runs out of creative new scenarios about the fish. I think the message could still have been delivered with a few less examples.
This is a very good beginners book - in spite of the title. McElligot is the most complex word in the book, and the book as a whole is very cute. All the words have illustrations near the word to help beginning readers. This book is highly recommended.
Nov 19, 2011
Kristen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Children, Everyone with a child inside
Another prime example of Seuss' enouragement of imagination. Who knows what might be down there? Just because they say it is one thing, does that make it so? Even in his early works Seuss was amazing with not only his rhyme but with his stories.
Dedicated to his dad because of their fishing experiences when Ted was growing up. Interesting fact: when they didn't catch anything, they'd stop by the fish counter at the store on their way home. The dedication page in this book indicates that experience.
When I found this tucked away on my bookshelf I immediately asked myself: what made me hold onto this particular Suess book since childhood? Once I opened the cover and saw the gorgeous underwater illustrations, it became quite clear.
I had fun reading this one aloud. My boys are partial to stories involving fish and the illustrations popped off the page. A nice little story about optimism, or denial, depending on which day of the week I read it.
"McElligot's Pool" is the kind of Seuss book that I like- imaginative and not too overboard with the made up words. This book can be a great, fun book for kids to come up with their own types of fish.
In this book, a boy who is fishing in McElligot's pool is told that he'll never catch any fish in it. He argues the opposite. I found this book really fun to read and it sparks the imagination.
Aug 06, 2011
Alan
added it
One of the first books I ever read 55 years ago. I can still remember sitting in the library and the smell of the books. Fantastic stuff. Let your imagination run completely free.
In the midst of all of the novella like Caldecott books of the 1940s, McElligot's pool is quite refreshing!
Dr Seuss was truly writing and illustrating for the enjoyment of children - thank goodness for his influence on the world of picture books.
FYI:
In the list of made up fish that the boy could possibly catch is a stereotyped "Eskimo Fish".
http://www.usariseup.com/sticky-wicke...
Dr Seuss was truly writing and illustrating for the enjoyment of children - thank goodness for his influence on the world of picture books.
FYI:
In the list of made up fish that the boy could possibly catch is a stereotyped "Eskimo Fish".
http://www.usariseup.com/sticky-wicke...
This is one of my very favorite Dr. Seuss's. Such a fun and imaginative read! It captures that magical element of childhood where it's more fun to hope than to get.
A 1948 Caldecott Honor book, this one is long enough that it is more appropriate for Kindergarten-1st or even 2nd grade. It's has a nice full-circle storyline.
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| EDCI 325 Fall 2012: McElligot's Pool | 1 | 1 | Nov 09, 2012 10:35am |
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, MA. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both carto...more
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