Marsupial Sue

Marsupial Sue was a kangaroo with identity issues. Always convinced that she'd be happier somewhere else, living the life of someone else, she attempted to climb trees like the koalas and laze by the sea like the platypus, but it always ended in disaster. Then one day, while romping with some wallabies, she realizes that the life of a kangaroo wasn't so bad...

Like so many of actor John Lithgow's other picture-books, Marsupial Sue is told through rhyme, and is also a song that is performed by its creator. The score for the song is included at the rear of the book, as is a CD recording of Lithgow singing it. I found this one enjoyable, although there were a few times that I thought the rhyme scheme was a bit strained, when reading. Of show more course, this is probably not the case when the story is sung. The artwork by Jack E. Davis is colorful and amusing. All in all, a fairly engaging book, one that managed to overcome my usual wariness of celebrity-authored children's stories. Recommended to those looking for tales told through rhyme, and to fans of the author/performer and his songs. show less

I absolutely loved this book, and would definitely recommend it for elementary school student kindergarten through second grade. I would recommend it for these grades because it is a fun rhyming book with only a few lines on each page.

One reason I loved this book was for the illustrations. The pictures are so bright and colorful that they are really eye-catching and help you become engrossed in the story. I also love the use of vocabulary throughout the story. The story uses words such as, "marsupial," "gaily," and "pneumonia," which could serve as new vocab words. Another aspect of the story I really enjoyed is that there is actually tune for the words in the back of the book, which means you can sing the story. After reading the book, show more I found the tune and then read the story again, but singing. Singing the story would be fun and enjoyable for the class because not every story is sung. Finally, I loved the message of the story. Marsupial Sue is all about accepting yourself for who you are and being confident. On the last page of the book the story reads, "No longer so blue, you're happy with who you are. You'll never stray too far from you..." I believe this is a powerful message for kids because not every kid is confident with him or herself and this story shows the happiness that comes when accepting yourself for who you are. show less

Kangaroos do what kangaroos do, but Sue really doesn’t like being a kangaroo and sets out to find something better. Can she climb trees like a koala? Maybe she could wade into the sea like a platypus? Can Sue find a way to be happy being a kangaroo?

With a bouncy rhyming text and captivating illustrations, young readers will laugh at Sue’s antics and learn that being themselves is really the very best thing of all.

Highly recommended.

This is a good fantasy book because it involves some great illustrations of kangaroos and their habitats. The rhyming of the story makes it a fun read and adds humor to the story. It also has a great theme of identity and finding yourself. The kangaroo wants to try new things because she doesn't like the hopping that they do. She tries and tries to be like other animals, but realizes she is happy with who she is. This encourages children to love themselves and not drift away from who they truly are.

Silly and awesome, just my speed.

A storytime favorite!