"Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!" - Dr. Seuss. Oh, the Places You'll Go is a graduation speech by Dr. Seuss, in his typical rhyming, pictures, and Seuss-isms (you know want I'm talking about). Although if sounds like a speech your crazy uncle may give, the book is quite encouraging to anyone heading off on a new adventure, whether it's your little child's first day of preschool, or your not-so-little-anymore one's college graduation. The illustrations contain the typical silly and slightly abstract style created by Seuss. With less than a handful of colors on each page, the star of the book really is the rhyming speech.
Let the language of Dr. Seuss inspire your reading and make it as fun for your little one as possible. The book has many lessons for parents and grandparents to instill in their children. The story is full of encouragement; "Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best. Where you go, you will top all the rest." It also has some harsh realities; "Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so/ but, sadly, it's true/ that Bang-ups/ and Hang-ups/ can happen to you." The story reassures readers that life is hard for everyone, and that is okay, "Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,/for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind."
I first read this book with my niece, Emily, when she was three and getting ready to head to pre-school. She enjoyed my theatrical reading (who can avoid 'getting into it' with rhymes as awesome as Dr. Seuss'?) and smiled the whole time. She was also quite fascinated by the scenes in some of the pictures and asked me a few times, "Auntie, is that place real? Where is that? Can we go?" Feeling wise, I told Emily, "You'll go to your own places, sweetie, and they'll be even better than what you see in the book."
--Audra