Hop on Pop (by Dr. Seuss)

Dr. Seuss freed children from the feudal yoke of Dick, Jane, Sally, and Spot. Here, words are sounds that roll around in your mouth, bounce off one another, and stick together in a sensible rhyme. Dr. Seuss's wild characters are old friends to readers.

Dr. Seuss uses words in this beginning reader like a pyrotechnist uses fireworks: in a controlled display of dazzle and wonder-making that teeters on the edge of anarchy, delivering that delightful chill but never spilling over into excess: "SONG LONG / a long, long song. / Good-by, Thing. / You sing too long." It's rewarding to watch a 5-year-old's eyes sparkle with pride after finishing this book -- and at 64 pages, there is a real sense of a book here. To witness her working through the pages with determination and pleasure is even more special.

The expressive, eccentric characters in their silly situations encourage young readers to keep turning the pages. Dr. Seuss' bold colors and compositions make his cartoons easy to read.