Hey! You! That's right, you goofy shanoozy!
Here's a tale for you, and boy, it's a doozy.
Oh, the Places You'll Go! is our book's great name.
If you heed its advice, you'll soon get the game.

What game you ask? Why the game of life!
Of love and careers, of good times and strife.
Teddy "Seuss" Geisel is the name of the writer
But we call him Seuss—that feels much lighter.

In 1990 he wrote our fine tale.
He died the next year, but his words didn't fail.
It's a parting gem from one gifted with rhymes
whose message and tone were in sync with the times.

So who is this man, whose name sounded like zoice?
Just a good spirit who, given the choice,
Decided to write of important themes—
Being kind to the earth and achieving your dreams.

And that's just what this wacky, wild tale is about:
You, and your voice, and how you'll turn out.
You'll get a great view as you skip down your path
Of the ups and the downs, and the snakes in the grass.

Full to the brim with fun sounds and creatures,
this book has deep stuff beneath its bright features.
You'll see that it's awesome in the wide-open air
How much fun can be had when you cartwheel and dare!

Or how 'bout what happens when you come face-to-face
With the blobbity blobs of the sad Waiting Place?
You'll fly high, you'll fly low, you'll brace for the ground.
You'll learn to make do with whatever you've found.

No, not make do. To sizzle! To snap!
You'll learn life is best when you throw out the map.
It's the perfect guide to the world great and wide,
A book that says, "You can do it—don't hide!"

What else to expect from the good-natured Seuss?
Who knows what you'll do when you're finally set loose?
So get nice and comfy wherever you are.
Listen well to this tale and reach for that star!

Becoming a functional, contributing member of society isn't the easiest thing to do. There are lots of highs to be soared to, and just as many canyons in which to get lost with no food, water, maps or clips of Larry David playing George Steinbrenner on Seinfeld. (Costanza! Where's my calzone?).

Right now, we're in a great age of transition. Traditional models of, well, just about everything are changing at breakneck speed. That makes for many exciting routes as we all figure out what's next; it also makes for a lot of questions and fear. In fact, we live in a time that's a lot like childhood. There are many new decisions and new friends to be made, and a whole host of your standard trials and tribulations to overcome.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! operates under no false illusions. It takes your child through these ups and downs, inspires and gives us a good look at what's normal for most people as we navigate these murky waters. It does so with hope, don't-take-yourself-so-seriously humor and positivity, without ever sounding false or cliché. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite of cliché. It's universal and unique. Now those are two Shmooptastic words.

This book will give your child the confidence they need to keep on going, no matter where they are or what's ahead of them. Because the places you'll go are rich and varied. But only when you fully embark.

So board that train, kiddos!

Why Your Kids Should Care

But don't get us wrong. Just because Places has a lot of relevance to very grownup experiences, doesn't mean this is going to be a journey through grownup settings. This is not all about going first to accounting and then to the mailroom and then to the break room for some coffee out of a packet you'll have to make yourself since the last person didn't start a new pot even though you wrote that passive aggressive note.

No, this story is much more whimsical than that (unless your name is Lowly Worm and you work out of your apple car). Seuss envisions the places you'll go through gentle, goofy rhymes and whimsical illustrations that will set your child's imagination afire. They'll be engrossed with all of the little details to uncover in each picture and eager to see what's on the next page. That's the Seuss way.