Bartholomew and the Oobleck: Author: Visit Amazon's Dr. Seuss Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0394800753 | Format: EPUB
Bartholomew and the Oobleck: Description
Amazon.com Review
Bartholomew and the Oobleck easily qualifies as a Seuss classic, first told way back in 1949. And its message--the importance of owning up to your mistakes and saying that you're sorry--is as timeless now as it was then.
Bartholomew Cubbins serves thanklessly as pageboy to King Derwin of Didd, a headstrong man who's decided he isn't satisfied with mere sun, fog, rain, and snow. ("Humph! The things that come down from my sky!") He wants something else, something uniquely his own, so he calls in his royal magicians ("Shuffle, duffle, muzzle, muff. Fista, wista, mista-cuff. We are men of groans and howls, mystic men who eat boiled owls"). Happy to oblige, the magicians tell the king they can make "oobleck" fall from the sky, only nobody--not even the magicians--knows just what oobleck is. But after a night of arcane incantations, everyone in the kingdom gets a taste of the stuff (in the case of the Captain of the Guard, literally!), as the green, gluey goo gums up everything in sight.
Of course, Bartholomew tries to help, but it's up to the king to save the day, as he learns to utter not magic words but simple words with magic in them: "I'm sorry." (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes
From the Inside Flap
Illus. in color by the author. An ooey-gooey, green oobleck was not exactly what the king had in mind when he ordered something extra-special from his royal magicians.
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- Age Range: 5 - 9 years
- Grade Level: Kindergarten - 4
- Lexile Measure: 500L (What's this?)
- Series: Classic Seuss
- Hardcover: 56 pages
- Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (October 12, 1949)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0394800753
- ISBN-13: 978-0394800752
- Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
The King of Didd loved to look into the sky. But he was increasingly unhappy with what he saw -- only rain, snow, fog, and sunshine. As a powerful king, he decided to change things so he could get more.
The book is a wonderful look at the perils of getting what you think you want, a great lesson for children to learn at an early age. Unlike other Dr. Seuss books, this one is mostly in prose. The color in the illustrations is limited to green to flesh out the oobleck. The drawings and the humor though are first rate Dr. Seuss!
Bartholomew is the King's page boy, and the king's source of common sense. When the king decides to call in his magicians to create oobleck, Bartholomew's warnings are unheeded. Even the magicians give a warning, for they have never made oobleck before and don't quite know how it will turn out. Nevertheless, the king orders the magicians to go ahead. When the first green drops hit, the king decides to declare a holiday.
But soon there are problems. Oobleck is very sticky! And it's coming down in ever increasing quantities. What do you do?
The resolution is a particularly good one, for it reinforces the moral that any willful thing we decide to do can be undone if we unbend our will. (It also encourages good manners.)
Reading this book reminded me of when I was about five. I only liked to eat junk food. I begged my parents to buy ever larger quantities. Finally, my mother said. "All right. You're in charge of buying food for yourself this week. You'll have only that to eat." I stocked up on potato chips, candy, soft drinks, and other wonderful snacks. By the fourth day, I couldn't face any more junk food. I begged my mother to take back the job of selecting food for me!
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