Great Day for Up (by Dr. Seuss)

Dr. Seuss delivers a jolly rhymed handful of words, aimed at the very youngest of readers, with real oompah-pah. Illustrator Quentin Blake takes a few nutty cues from the doctor, but mostly it's his own show of highly communicative, sweet-natured watercolor-and-pen drawings.

 

Seuss knew what he was doing when he hit on the idea of introducing a mere thimbleful of words to the beginningest of readers. The tone and the challenge are inviting, and Blake effectively translates the words into action. Seuss conveys not just the pleasure of word slinging but also the very joy of being alive. Rarely do exclamation marks get used with such obvious perfection. The book is as merry as a cricket, and contagious.

The fun in reading this book is complemented by the sense of accomplishment young readers get when they finish the last page, often heading right back to the start for another helping. That's what they say about good poetry, and here it's clearly a sign of something special.

Author: Dr. Seuss
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: January 1, 1974
Number of pages: 28
Paperback price: $8.99