This goes over colors and shapes. A tale about an animal wanting to be in the zoo, and can do many things with his spots. ( )

Dr. Seuss is easy to read for those who are beginning to read and writer.

Genre: fantasy
Critique of Genre: This is a catchy example of fantasy where we see this different creature wanting to be put in the zoo and showing a couple children why he thinks he should be put there by showing them all the tricks he can do with his spots.
Characterization: All of the characters are relatively flat because we do not learn any previous knowledge about them and we don't learn much more throughout the story. The animal with spots wants desperately to be put in the zoo and shows the tricks it can do with its spots only to be told, in the end, that the circus would be better suited for them.
Media: mixed media (colored pencil; pen and ink) ( )

My father loved this book, and so he read it often to me. Now I read it often to my nieces. I love it all the more for the connection to my personal history.

This is a fun story (the illustrations, showing the children's reactions, are hysterical) about a critter who wants to live in the zoo, and to prove that he should he shows off all the tricks he and his spots can do. Eventually he goes to the circus, everybody is happy.

I will note that the zoo depicted is a very archaic, every animal in a small, unfriendly cage type of zoo; I do not think it is sensible that he'd really like to "live this way". But when it comes up as an issue, we'll talk about it. The focus of the book is really about the cool (rhyming) tricks that can be done with spots.

I will also note that the board book version of this is seriously abridged and is, unfortunately, not very well constructed. Please just get the full edition. ( )

pre-k through 3rd grade. fun fun fun! Easy to read, the pictures are fantastic and very intriguing. Very enjoyable book ( )