Rating: 
Summary: a celebration of individuality
Review: At Diffendoofer School, students learn essential life skills --"listening, smelling, laughing, and yelling" and "how to tie knots in neckerchiefs and noodles, how to tell chrysanthemums from miniature poodles." The delightful Diffendoofer School may be closed, forcing the students to attend Flobbertown School, where everyone does "everything the same . . They dress in just one style. They sing one song, they never dance, they march in single file . . . Their lunches have no taste at all, Their dogs are scared to bark." Naturally, the Diffendoofer creative thinking students rally to save the day and the school. The characters are quirky but all too real. I particularly like giving this book to young people to encourage their spirit and creativity, as a preemptive strike against the peer-pressured conformity of adolescence. (As an added bonus, many of Ted Geisel's original sketches and concepts are included in a post-script titled "How This Book Came to Be".)
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Summary: A wonderful collaborative gem for children of ALL ages!
Review: Hooray for the team of Dr. Seuss, Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith who all helped to create HOORAY FOR DIFFENDOOFER DAY! It is a celebration of unique and creative thinking. The text is sophisticated enough for parents to want to reread this to children and maintains the essence of Dr. Seuss' beloved cadence and rhyme. The imaginative illustrations are a blend of Seuss' familiar characters and Smith's own style. Parents are sure to chuckle over his references to Seuss and children will enjoy the storyline, especially those of young school age. My six-year old loved it-especially as his school prepares for standardized achievement testing. Be sure to read the section HOW THIS BOOK CAME TO BE.
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Summary: Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!!!
Review: Hooray!!! The genius of Dr. Suess is teamed with that of Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith to produce an outstanding book full of rhymes -- and reason. Diffendoofer School is a santuary for individuality. Why take spelling tests, when yelling contests are so much more fun? Everyone in the school has a unique talent they contribute - like Miss Bonkers, who teaches frogs to dance; and pigs to put on underpants! The students and Diffendoofer love its zany outlook, until a test threatens to send them to Flobbertown, where everyone's the same. But Miss Bonkers has faith in her pupils and chirps: "We've taught you that the earth is round, that red and white make pink. But most importantly of all: We've taught you how to think..." And when the test comes, it is filled with things they do know. And for the questions they didn't know, somehow they answered them, proving what Miss Bonkers said. This book is a great gift, and proves that a little fun can't hurt! Three cheers for Diffendoofer Day!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!
Rating:
Summary: Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!!!
Review: Hooray!!! The genius of Dr. Suess is teamed with that of Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith to produce an outstanding book full of rhymes -- and reason. Diffendoofer School is a santuary for individuality. Why take spelling tests, when yelling contests are so much more fun? Everyone in the school has a unique talent they contribute - like Miss Bonkers, who teaches frogs to dance; and pigs to put on underpants! The students and Diffendoofer love its zany outlook, until a test threatens to send them to Flobbertown, where everyone's the same. But Miss Bonkers has faith in her pupils and chirps: "We've taught you that the earth is round, that red and white make pink. But most importantly of all: We've taught you how to think..." And when the test comes, it is filled with things they do know. And for the questions they didn't know, somehow they answered them, proving what Miss Bonkers said. This book is a great gift, and proves that a little fun can't hurt! Three cheers for Diffendoofer Day!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!
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Summary: Student Teacher
Review: I absolutely love this book! My Language Arts teacher in my Credential Program, in Chula Vista, read us this book before we had to take a huge test. I was so inspired I bought my own copy. It is a wonderful book for all teachers to have. Read it to your students before those standardized tests! Trust me... they will love it!!
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Summary: If Number 2 pencils make you cringe . . .
Review: I loved Dr. Seuss as a kid, but I have to admit, I don't always like reading him aloud now that I'm a parent. Don't tell my kids, but I know how Green Eggs and Ham ended up behind the sofa. Mom and Dad hid it there after they'd been forced to read about boxes and foxes and sockses too many times in a row one night. This new book, based on notes and sketches found among Dr. Seuss's papers after his death, might escape the fate of Sam-I-am, at least in our house. There are some definite funny moments. Discussing the cafeteria workers, the narrator says, "They make us hot dogs, beans, and fries, / Plus things we do not recognize." Although the food may resemble that found in some educational institutions, the philosophy does not. Instead of teaching the students the traditional canon and rote memorization, the teachers at Diffendoofer teach an eclectic mix. Extolling the virtues of his teacher, Miss Bonkers, the narrator says: She even teaches frogs to dance. And pigs to put on underpants. One day she taught a duck to sing -- Miss Bonkers teaches EVERYTHING! Of all the teachers in our school, I like Miss Bonkers best. Our teachers are all different, But she's different-er than the rest. Most of all, the teachers teach their students how to think. This works great, until the day of the dreaded standardized test. If the students at Diffendoofer School don't pass with flying colors, they'll be forced to go to Flobbertown, where everyone does everything the same. Amazingly enough, the test covers all the things the Diffendoofer teachers have been teaching -- and for those questions on material they haven't covered yet, the students use their thinking skills to come up with the right answers. Lane Smith's illustrations pay tribute to Dr. Seuss. Several characters from Seuss books walk the halls of Diffendoofer School, along with Smith's more angular characters. The library is stocked with Seuss books. At the end of the book, there's the story of how this book came to be. After reading the original verses and studying the original sketches, I re-read the story and marveled at how Prelutsky and Smith took a small amount of material and fashioned Hooray for Diffendoofer Day.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Wacky stuff ? Read This Book!
Review: I purchased this book for my 6 year old. Our whole family likes to listen to/read this story about the fuss over a test to see if the kids have learned all they should, if they haven't they'll have to go to DREARY flobbertown. I thought this would be a great gift for one of the BEST first grade teachers I know. She liked it so much she read it to her class the day my son gave it to her.
Rating:
Summary: It's gribbulous, it's grobbulous! A must-have!
Review: If only there were a Diffendoofer School! I'd gladly send my children to a school where a sprited teacher named Miss Bonkers makes learning a delightful adventure everyday. ("She even teaches frogs to dance, and pigs to put on underpants.") I purchased this book with great enthusiasm because I was intrigued by the fact that Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel never had a chance to finish the story; only a handful of rough illustrations and verses existed. After Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991, his editor of 11 years, Janet Schulman, passed on the rough draft to Jack Prelutsky (a wonderful children's poet) and Lane Smith (an amazing illustrator with a surreal style). This brave team stepped up to the enormous challenge of fleshing out Dr. Seuss's story. Prelutsky continues the Seussian tradition of wacky words and rhymes, a delight for the young and old. Children love the hilarious descriptions of all the folks who run Diffendoofer School, from the nurse, Miss Clotte, to the stressed-out principal, Mr. Lowe, whose "face is wrinkled as a prune from worrying so much." Parents will appreciate the not-so-subtle pun on high-stakes assessment tests. The Diffendoofer kids are positively thrilled when they see that the test has "questions about noodles, about poodles, frogs, and yelling...about other things we'd never seen or heard, and we somehow answered them, enjoying every word." Dr. Seuss, Prelutsky, and Smith have created a book that celebrates the creative mind and the joy of learning. The illustrations by Lane Smith are touched with a lighthearted surrealism. Each page is cotten candy for the eyes. In a touching and unique homage to Dr. Seuss, Smith included original Seuss drawings in many illustrations. It's fun to simply look at Smith's illustrations and try to remember in which books the Seuss drawings appeared. Another treat for the Seuss fan comes after the story. Schulman, Seuss's editor, wrote "How this Book Came to Be," which includes many of Seuss's original rough sketches and handwritten text. It's a rare opportunity for one to peer into the mind of a brilliant writer. I simply love reading this book to my children. Three cheers for Dr. Seuss, Jack Prelutsky, and Lane Smith!
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Summary: Great Story; Not Very Seuss-like Art
Review: The concept of this book is from Dr. Seuss- he drew sketches and some verses before he died. The details of the story is from another writer who does a wonderful job. I believe the author did a terrific job keeping Dr. Seuss's touch on the book and really made it a wonderful story. But I dislike the art. I think the art makes the book one that I don't want to have. The art is done by Lane Smith, the same guy who did work on 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and he drew this book and the characters for that movie the same way. Some of the character drawings in the book, especially one of a clown that appears on one page, are rather scary-looking. I believe the artist strayed completely away from Dr. Seuss's concept for the book. In Seuss's sketches that he did before he died, he drew the main character, Ms. Bonkers as a sweet old, gray-haired teacher. He also drew a sketch of another lead character, the school's principal. Lane Smith drew Ms. Bonkers as a young, blonde teacher who I imagine, is supposed to be rather attractive. He draws the principal in the book somewhat scary. In Dr. Seuss's sketches for the concept of the book, Dr. Seuss drew and versed that the principal liked to watch Ms. Bonkers jump on a trampoline, which was cute and funny when you see a gray-haired woman in a long, bulky, old-lady dress down to her ankles jumping upside down in mid-air with the old principal watching humorously in the far background, as Dr. Seuss drew in his concept sketch. It is not so cute, and somewhat perverted I think, when Lane Smith draws a young Ms. Bonkers jumping up in the air in a not-so-long dress, with the scary-looking principal standing underneath, looking upwards. We own just about every Dr. Seuss book that he made. We got this one from the library to see if wanted to buy it... we don't. I think the publisher did a great job picking the author. But I belive the publisher really messed up when they chose Lane Smith as the artist and allowed him to draw like something from a 'Nightmare' and yet still think they can put Dr. Seuss's name on the book in order to sell it. Of course, that is just my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story; Not Very Seuss-like Art
Review: The concept of this book is from Dr. Seuss- he drew sketches and some verses before he died. The details of the story is from another writer who does a wonderful job. I believe the author did a terrific job keeping Dr. Seuss's touch on the book and really made it a wonderful story. But I dislike the art. I think the art makes the book one that I don't want to have. The art is done by Lane Smith, the same guy who did work on 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and he drew this book and the characters for that movie the same way. Some of the character drawings in the book, especially one of a clown that appears on one page, are rather scary-looking. I believe the artist strayed completely away from Dr. Seuss's concept for the book. In Seuss's sketches that he did before he died, he drew the main character, Ms. Bonkers as a sweet old, gray-haired teacher. He also drew a sketch of another lead character, the school's principal. Lane Smith drew Ms. Bonkers as a young, blonde teacher who I imagine, is supposed to be rather attractive. He draws the principal in the book somewhat scary. In Dr. Seuss's sketches for the concept of the book, Dr. Seuss drew and versed that the principal liked to watch Ms. Bonkers jump on a trampoline, which was cute and funny when you see a gray-haired woman in a long, bulky, old-lady dress down to her ankles jumping upside down in mid-air with the old principal watching humorously in the far background, as Dr. Seuss drew in his concept sketch. It is not so cute, and somewhat perverted I think, when Lane Smith draws a young Ms. Bonkers jumping up in the air in a not-so-long dress, with the scary-looking principal standing underneath, looking upwards. We own just about every Dr. Seuss book that he made. We got this one from the library to see if wanted to buy it... we don't. I think the publisher did a great job picking the author. But I belive the publisher really messed up when they chose Lane Smith as the artist and allowed him to draw like something from a 'Nightmare' and yet still think they can put Dr. Seuss's name on the book in order to sell it. Of course, that is just my opinion.
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