Oh Say Can You Say?

A volatile stew of festive wordplay.
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dr. Seuss' Oh Say Can You Say? offers a heap of limericks and tongue twisters for kids to tackle. Great for read-aloud and even more fun to try to pronounce.
Community Reviews
55555566788900987554211246790—9655tu8kt7
Report this review
What's the Story?
Fractured limericks? Tongue twisters? Brain teasers? Dr. Seuss blends the three into a volatile stew of festive wordplay. This book is divided into episodes--"West Beast East Beast," "Eat at Skipper Zipp's," and the like--that Seuss uses to create a barely contained visual and verbal tempest.
Is It Any Good?
These forays into tongue-twisting are so good-natured that they can do little but bring a smile to your lips, which doesn't help a whole lot when it comes to trying to get the pronunciation right. Since each of the episodes (for the most part) occupies one two-page spread, they feel self-contained and snappy.
Dr. Seuss' bright colors and bewhiskered creatures are arrayed on a field of white, and the words seem to vibrate on the page, which should be a nuisance but here seems quite fitting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fun of saying tongue-twisters. Which ones are the most difficult? Are they also the most fun to try?
Book Details
- Author: Dr. Seuss
- Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
- Genre: For Beginning Readers
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Random House
- Publication date: January 1, 1979
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 40
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate