It’s well known that Dr. Seuss found the Dick and Jane books to be boring, but we have to ask: why? We don’t have the good doctor here to give us the answer, but if we had to wager a semi-educated guess, we’d say it’s because they lack a sense of awe and amazement. Who wants to read about Dick and Jane swinging? No one—we’d all rather be the ones swinging ourselves. Who wants to read about Will who walked up an impossibly steep hill or a crocodile thing that can sing? We do, and Dr. Seuss knew this. The key to developing lifelong readers is to develop that sense of awe and amazement in reading early with whackadoodle characters and madcap adventures, which is exactly what Seuss does in Hop on Pop.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why is there nothing normal in Hop on Pop?
A: There are plenty of normal things in this book: a pup, a mouse, some guys playing ball, and another dude camping. These normal things have just been flavored with a little awesomesauce.
Q: Where did Dr. Seuss come up with his amazing ideas?
A: He read a lot and lived a lot. When love of those things combines, just look at all the amazing thinks you can think up in your noodly noggin.
Q: What do you think is Dr. Seuss’s most amazing idea in this book?
A: The writing. It’s so simple yet so original. A perfect blend.
Q: There’s not such thing as awesomesauce. You just made it up, right?
A:s Right on the spot—just like Seuss himself.