Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Dec 29, 2012
Shannon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Shannon by:
Mike
Shelves:
michael,
special-to-me-book
This was just about the best gol-darndest book ever! ;)
Jan 12, 2013
bakanekonomama
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anak-anak,
in-english
Setelah "If I ran the Circus", kali ini saya membaca "If I ran the Zoo" yang masih satu tema dengan buku yang pertama. Diceritakan disini, seorang anak kecil bernama Gerald McGrew yang pergi ke kebun binatang dan membayangkan, kalau dialah yang memiliki tempat itu, maka kebun binatang tentu tidak akan sebosan dan sekuno ini.
Maksudnya, McGrew akan memenuhi kebun binatang dengan binatang-binatang aneh dari seluruh dunia(yang benar-benar aneh dan nggak masuk akal), untuk ditempatkan di kebun binat...more
Maksudnya, McGrew akan memenuhi kebun binatang dengan binatang-binatang aneh dari seluruh dunia(yang benar-benar aneh dan nggak masuk akal), untuk ditempatkan di kebun binat...more
I've heard Dr.Seuss is great children author and because of that I borrowed from library some of his books. And in the last few days I've read them to my cousin who loves Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! so much that we've bought it.
I wish I would have read this before reading to Kaito. I would have never chosen this book to read a loud to Asian/White child (I wouldn't choose this book for any child whatever race) . "helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant" it was like glass of cold...more
I wish I would have read this before reading to Kaito. I would have never chosen this book to read a loud to Asian/White child (I wouldn't choose this book for any child whatever race) . "helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant" it was like glass of cold...more
Might be a little on the long side, but the imaginative concept is terrific.
The book does have some physical racial stereotyping, which has engendered some very negative emotional reactions from some readers. Certainly they are noticeable, but consider when the book was published (1950). Because our world has become so racially sensitive, are we now to set aside all books that have racial insensitivities? That would mean setting aside Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Color Purple, There Eyes We...more
The book does have some physical racial stereotyping, which has engendered some very negative emotional reactions from some readers. Certainly they are noticeable, but consider when the book was published (1950). Because our world has become so racially sensitive, are we now to set aside all books that have racial insensitivities? That would mean setting aside Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Color Purple, There Eyes We...more
If I Ran the Zoo is yet another classic story from the mind of the legendary Dr. Suess. This tale tells the story of a young boy who dreams of what it would be look to run his very own zoo, and most of his ideas involve letting the "normal" animals go and to travel the world searching for new and exotic Suess animals. The one problem I did have with this book is that there are a few instances involving race that might not be acceptable in this day and age, but taking into account that the books...more
This is Dr. Seuss at his best; the imaginary beasts, imaginary places, and imaginary contraptions used to capture them are rhyming tongue-twisters. From the Mulligatawny captured in the Desert of Zind to the Tufted Mazurka captured on the African island of Yerka, each creature is more fantastic than the last. Even though many of the places where Gerald McGrew captures his wild beasts don't really exist, it would be fun to look at a globe and find places with strange names that do exist. And even...more
There are many criticisms of the racial stereotypes in this book, but considering when it was written is useful in overcoming these.
The aspect of the book that I had trouble with is the general theme. The protagonist spends time imagining all the strange, rare creatures he will capture to live in his zoo, using all means of lures and/or force to get them. Clearly, he is removing (very rare, probably endangered) animals from their native homes simply for the viewing pleasure of his customers.
Al...more
The aspect of the book that I had trouble with is the general theme. The protagonist spends time imagining all the strange, rare creatures he will capture to live in his zoo, using all means of lures and/or force to get them. Clearly, he is removing (very rare, probably endangered) animals from their native homes simply for the viewing pleasure of his customers.
Al...more
1.Picture Book, Controlled Vocabulary
2.Dr. Seuss writes an interesting story about a character named Mr. McGrew. Mr. McGrew visits a zoo that he states needs changes to make it unlike other zoos. his ideas for changing the zoo to "McGrew Zoo" are hilarious. The animals he envisions being in the new zoo are truly unlike what we are used to. Create story that combines literature with poetry.
3.
a.Controlled Vocabulary
b. The use of controlled vocabulary really adds ti the humor of the story. It also...more
2.Dr. Seuss writes an interesting story about a character named Mr. McGrew. Mr. McGrew visits a zoo that he states needs changes to make it unlike other zoos. his ideas for changing the zoo to "McGrew Zoo" are hilarious. The animals he envisions being in the new zoo are truly unlike what we are used to. Create story that combines literature with poetry.
3.
a.Controlled Vocabulary
b. The use of controlled vocabulary really adds ti the humor of the story. It also...more
Dr. Seuss, or, Theodore Seuss Geisel, has an immaculate sense of timing and cadence of words that transform words into a march of musical poetry. Once again, the story's main character, a young boy, has fabulous ideas of how he would transform the zoo where he the Zookeeper. As he views the zookeeper placidly standing next to a sleeping lion, the youngster begins to daydream of the far away lands and places he would go. In these lands, with complex apparatus, he would find and catch an assortmen...more
This book to me was just amazing i enjoyed reading every page of it because it constantly kept me engaged and had me laughing. Dr. Seuss definitely had an amazing imagination. This book is about how a little boy walks into the zoo and only sees it as a normal typical zoo. He then begins to imagine all the things he would do to improve the zoo. I thought it was awesome because it proved how big the imagination of a child could be. The book is filled with many short words so it could be for studen...more
I like Dr. Seuss as much as the next guy, but boy howdy does this book have some problems.
First off, the whole premise of the book is upsetting. A little boy fantasizes about becoming the new zoo-keeper. He imagines capturing the most rare and unusual animals for his zoo, embarking on a hunting expedition to catch as many unusual animals as he can find. Then we start in with the racism. Specifically against Asian people.
"With helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant..." Yeeaaah... that's not...more
First off, the whole premise of the book is upsetting. A little boy fantasizes about becoming the new zoo-keeper. He imagines capturing the most rare and unusual animals for his zoo, embarking on a hunting expedition to catch as many unusual animals as he can find. Then we start in with the racism. Specifically against Asian people.
"With helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant..." Yeeaaah... that's not...more
The rhyme pattern here was a bit odd, and I couldn't sing-along the words in my head like I usually do. (What? What do you mean you don't do that? How else do you read Dr. Seuss's books?) It quite made up for it with the wonderful menagerie of odd animals. One thing that annoyed me, though, was the fact that all these animals had a pleasant face at the idea of being captured. Dunno why it annoyed me, it's obviously in the kid's daydream and their faces would be placid when he imagines it, but st...more
Writing while cats rotate through one's lap is a challenge, and this book was in reach, so I whipped through it while having my lap warmed. It's not prime Seuss, but it's still a lot of fun. Its slightness is a function of the absence of anything in the way of real narrative--it's just a sequence of increasingly (more or less) whimsical animals our narrator, Gerald McGrew, imagines he'd have in the zoo if he ran the place. The real delight is in the illustrations themselves, which feature a rema...more
Apr 13, 2013
Shelby Kesterke
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
picture-book
I thought this was one of many good books done by Dr. Sues. This book has great illustrations of all the different kind of animals that would be at this zoo. There was a 10 footed lion who looked like a regular lion, but just had more feet. There wee a lot of other animals as well and I felt like the story was kind of long, but that could have just been due to the fact that there were a lot of animals at the zoo. The rhyming of the book made for an easy read, and I would recommend reading this b...more
Mainly due to the phrase "helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant", I can not recommend this book. I was surprised and not expecting to encounter such a statement in a Dr. Seuss book. Guess that showed me. Luckily, I tend to read ahead in my mind and skipped that entire part when reading to my children. People who excuse such comments based on when the book was written annoy me. Because the book was written in 1950, that makes it ok for me to read it to my kids? I do not think so. Otherwise,...more
4 likes · like · see review
1951 Caldecott Honor
I found the book a little less fun than other Seuss books. The theme carried on too long for me. The joke was funny for a bit, but eh.
Also, the racial stereotypes, while typical for the time, are still not acceptable.
For example, Goodreads author Wendy Wan-Long Shang wrote "When I turned the page and saw the "helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant", I felt as though a hand had reached up and slapped me."
This isn't a book that I am likely to read again unless it is to us...more
I found the book a little less fun than other Seuss books. The theme carried on too long for me. The joke was funny for a bit, but eh.
Also, the racial stereotypes, while typical for the time, are still not acceptable.
For example, Goodreads author Wendy Wan-Long Shang wrote "When I turned the page and saw the "helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant", I felt as though a hand had reached up and slapped me."
This isn't a book that I am likely to read again unless it is to us...more
Great read-aloud, especially when the kids get into the rhythm (and are waiting for you to get tongue-tied). Much fun.
I had an epiphany with this story after sharing a Rookie biography of Dr. Seuss with my classes. One of the things the bio pointed out was that Seuss wrote his first story to the rhythm of a ship's engines. I hadn't put 2 and 2 together before, but realized that you can keep time to a good reading of this story--and had my kids keeping the beat as I read. Of course, if the kids...more
I had an epiphany with this story after sharing a Rookie biography of Dr. Seuss with my classes. One of the things the bio pointed out was that Seuss wrote his first story to the rhythm of a ship's engines. I hadn't put 2 and 2 together before, but realized that you can keep time to a good reading of this story--and had my kids keeping the beat as I read. Of course, if the kids...more
While some have reserves about this book, I think it' s another wonderful story to share with students. In this book, young General McGrew decided the zoo he is visiting isn't as interesting as he thinks it should be. He begins dreaming up his own animals that he would put into his very own zoo. The more he thinks about, the more creative he gets and even the pictures in the story become more vibrant and detailed. If I Ran the Zoo can be used to teach students the value of descriptive writing. L...more
To me this book felt long, but I wasn't reading it to anyone or even out loud - that might change the experience. But the fact that this book was published in 1951 is stunning when I compare it with other books I'm reading from this era - the illustrations are iconic now, but still feel fresh - not dated - and intensely imaginative. The text also holds up well. Dare I suggest an a small alteration to the text?
But I'll capture one...more
Who is even much finer
In the north-eastern west part
Of South Caroli
This book won Seuss's third Caldecott Honor award in 1951. This is a much better book than his previous honor award winner, in my opinion. Although a bit long and dated, it is another excellent imaginative book where the main character Gerald McGrew decides that a traditional zoo isn't good enough, so he will go all over the world to find new and bizarre species to add to his collection and bring in loads of people. I do have to wonder if Seuss was the first person to come up with the word "nerd...more
This is a picture book for primary readers, it is also a Randolph Caldecott Medal and Honor book. This book is about a young boy who tells us about what he would do if he could run the zoo. I think most Dr Suess books lend themselves very well to a younger classroom and this one is no exception. I love the fact that there are made up animals in here. It gives the children a chance to sound out a completely unfamiliar word. I think I would take the name of each animal and write it on an index car...more
I loved this Dr.Seuss book as I do with almost all of his books but I did find this one to be...a little hard to read. The real words were not hard to read rather the ones that he made up. The story rhymes and has a good flow to it so when you come upon a really weird imaginary word that Seuss tries to make rhyme with another really weird imaginary word, it really breaks the flow. I know that this a very insignificant complaint but honestly, that is the only problem I have with this fantastic bo...more
I am a fan of Dr. Seuess. I own several of his books. I love the drawings and the poetic rhymes. Seven years ago, when my son was born I decorated his room in Seuess. However, I did not care for this book. It had racial remarks in it. I understand that it was written in the 1950's. However, racism is learned. The last thing I want is to read this to a child and give him or her the idea that it is ok to make remaks. I was excited to read a Suess book that I had never read before.
A boy imagines the changes he'd make if he was in charge of the zoo. He'd have all sorts of never-before-seen creatures and he'd gather them from places far and wide, the nooks and crannies of geography books, if you will. It's a little on the long side, but the rhythm picks up and carries the reader through despite its length. My favorite rhyming part was the bit about the bird called the Bustard who only eats custard made of mustard. It's rhymes like this that I can't wait to read aloud!
This Dr.Seuss book is about a young boy, Gerald McGrew, who wishes he ran the zoo. He describes what he would do differently if he were the zoo keeper. Dr.Seuss uses a lot of descriptive writing:
"A four-footed lion’s not much of a beast.
The one in my zoo will have ten feet, at least!
Five legs on the left and five more on the right.
Then people will stare and they’ll say, “What a sight!”
I would use this book to talk about descriptive language, as well as rhyming.
"A four-footed lion’s not much of a beast.
The one in my zoo will have ten feet, at least!
Five legs on the left and five more on the right.
Then people will stare and they’ll say, “What a sight!”
I would use this book to talk about descriptive language, as well as rhyming.
Apr 02, 2013
Dolly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
Shelves:
2013,
childrens,
zoo,
rhyming,
new-england,
africa,
iran-persia,
other-usa,
cooking-recipes,
russia
With crazy, made-up creatures and a rhythmic, rhyming narrative, this is a very typical story by Dr. Seuss. The story is humorous and it's a fun book to read aloud.
I understand the controversy regarding the stereotypes featured in this book, but I choose to use the language as an opportunity to talk with our girls and discuss what is considered appropriate today and how times and perspectives change.
We have been searching for any of his books that we haven't yet read - I didn't realize just how...more
I understand the controversy regarding the stereotypes featured in this book, but I choose to use the language as an opportunity to talk with our girls and discuss what is considered appropriate today and how times and perspectives change.
We have been searching for any of his books that we haven't yet read - I didn't realize just how...more
I don't believe in banning books, but I wish I had been warned about this book. There are, to me, very offensive depictions and descriptions of Asians and Africans in this book. When I turned the page and saw the "helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant", I felt as though a hand had reached up and slapped me.
I love many of Dr. Seuss's books and their messages, but I'll have to let this one by. It's just too hurtful.
I love many of Dr. Seuss's books and their messages, but I'll have to let this one by. It's just too hurtful.
In the classroom, this book can be used in many ways. It could be used to teach about creative writing, rhyming, and imagination. Students could write their own story about if they ran the zoo, the mall, or any other place. If reading out loud to a class, this is definitely a book you would want to practice before hand due to the odd, made-up words. Nevetheless, this book is enjoyable to read and listen to.
John asks for this a lot. It's a fun book about all kinds of crazy animals that a boy imagines finding for his zoo. As always lots of fun Rhymes to help with those early phonemic awareness skills as well as great pictures to keep the boys' interest.
John's favorite part: the second to last page that shows the zoo with all the animals. He asks me what they are called one by one and I have to make something up.
John's favorite part: the second to last page that shows the zoo with all the animals. He asks me what they are called one by one and I have to make something up.
While this book has some great flights of fancy and imagination, it suffers from a lack of any substance or focus to that. When you also add in that Seuss relies on some unfortunate racist caricatures for a few of his visual gags in this book, it is a hard book to recommend. Of interest to the Seuss completist, but by no means essential, and not quite something I'd feel comfortable reading to children.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seuss Lovers: If I Ran the Zoo | 1 | 1 | Dec 06, 2012 06:43pm | |
| Riley Hoffart | 2 | 4 | Dec 08, 2011 11:34am |
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
More about Dr. Seuss...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Mar 18, 2013 03:47pm