Dr. Seuss - Oh, the Places You'll Go!

In this book, Dr. Seuss sends a boy off on his own, to be alone in the (very colorful and interesting) Seuss world and try to make something of himself. It discusses all the bad things that can be encountered in the world and overcome, if you only try. Of course, it is done in the literary style only Dr. Suess can produce: short rhymes and make believe things, set against beautifully colored drawings of bizarre imaginary places.

This book seems to be broken down in some places, taking a bit of a different route. Every time Dr. Suess says, "Except when you don't. Because sometimes you won't." the book changes tune from peppy and optimistic to pessimistic and on guard. The first time I read it, this fact kind of bothered me as it interrupted the flow of the story when read out loud. But, the second and successive times I read it, it became a necessary part of the tale. It really does work well in it and would not be the same without it.

The goal of the story is to put across a heaping amount of drive and enthusiasm to try hard and succeed, despite the bad times that are inevitably in the future. It drives home that you can succeed, and the line I love towards the end really points this out:

"And will you succeed?
Yes, you will indeed!
(98 and ? percent guaranteed.)"

The book really leaves the reader with a feeling of optimism and hope for their particular future. Plus, it's Dr. Seuss, what's not great about that?

I'd say if you are wanting to teach your child to read, this book is better for younger grade school age kids (6-8) as it is more wordy and longer than most Dr. Suess books. Even if a child doesn't entirely grasp the concepts, he or she will enjoy the silly rhymes and goofy pastel colored drawings. I would recommend this book to anyone. I've heard of people giving it as gifts to high school and college graduates as well. It is also recommended (on the internet in places) as a book to read in utero because of its positive message and rhythmic sound when read aloud.

This book was published in 1990, just a year before Dr. Suess passed away. Perhaps his message in this book is in a way his looking back on life and letting the youth know about the true potential they have in their life with every choice they make.

Dr. Suess also has a similar book called Oh The Thinks You Can Think! On Amazon.com,(the large Internet giant that sells everything from books to something called a facial spoon,) people who purchased Oh, The Places You'll Go! also bought Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! at the same time. Now that I have read Oh, The Places You'll Go!, I will have to try the Thinks as well, I bet it's just as good.