The Shape of Me and Other Stuff (Bright & Early Books)

Dr. Seuss is usually recognized for his brightly coloured and creative illustrations, but this book gives us the exact opposite illustrative technique. Seuss explores the concept of shape through outlines of various common items, animals, people, and a few of his whimsical creations as well, and utilizes a strictly monochromatic aesthetic to make his illustrations stand out on the page. While Seuss does not reach the artistic heights of Victorian-era artists like Arthur Rackham or the woodcut printers who popularized the simplistic style, this concept will surely be a novel change for readers who are used to seeing a riot of illustrations on the pages of Seuss’ books. In typical fashion, Seuss does not really stick to simple show more silhouettes though, as many of his illustrations see borderline shading occurring in his linework and he refuses to give up his bright colour palette. I may not be a huge fan of his silhouettes compared to his whimsical narratives, but I am sure that young readers will delight in the game of guessing each silhouette before the answer is revealed in text. show less

A young boy and a young girl look at the shape of everything around them - from mundane items like beans and tires to absurd made-up creatures like a "BLOGG" - and rejoice to be the shapes they are.

Even though I loved Dr. Seuss as a child, this is one title that I never managed to read as a kid. Written in his later years, this book features a lot of typical Seussian elements such as his characteristic illustrative style, rhyming text, and a sense of silliness combined with optimism. I'm glad to have recently discovered this book in my public library and have the opportunity to share it with some preschoolers in my life. It's relatively short and simple, but it's a lot of fun and has a nice underlying message about accepting and loving show more who you are. show less

I kind of think the kids who want to see the shape of their hand and the moon and the kids who want to see the shape of a shlumpf and a gneen are two separate constituencies (in age, certainly, but also to a degree temperamentally), but Seuss has a kind of fundamental sterling nature that sees him through.

There are a few different reasons why I like this book. One reason is that I enjoy reading Dr. Seuss books both to others and to my self because they are very sing song like which makes them enjoyable to get through. Also I really enjoy the way that the plot makes the reader think about different shapes, especially young readers. The illustrations were very well balanced with the silhouettes of characters and their shapes as well as the background colors that made them pop. I think the rhyming of the text made it easier to get through as a whole because you could guess what was coming next which many readers would enjoy when they are reading.

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff certainly lives up to its billing. In this delightful book, first published in 1973, kids are encouraged to ponder shapes they may never have considered before: "Just think about the shape of beans and flowers and mice and big machines!" Dr. Seuss's illustrations are in silhouette, but are nonetheless up to par with his usual wacky, amusing style.

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff is a good beginning reader book that introduces lots of new words and shapes. While the illustrations are flattened silhouettes and thus not the most exciting of Dr. Seuss’s catalogue, it is still a fantastic book to get children talking about various shapes. I would use this book to discuss geometrical vs. organic shapes and prompt a discussion on the student’s favorite shape and why they found it so special.

I might also have them trace their own silhouette to determine their own shape and paint it a solid color so the shape itself is highlighted rather than the line. I feel this book also teaches children that all shapes are unique and thus noteworthy, which in turn hopefully teaches that beauty show more comes in every shape and size. On a basic level, however, this is a fun book to read with children because of its sing-songy rhyme and use of a wide variety of objects to identify. show less

Dr. Seuss books are always a good way to get your students attention and they are fun to read. This one is about all the different shapes that things make and no one shape is the same, such as beans, flowers, lips, ships, machines, animals, gum, etc. There are several comparison and rhymes made throughout the book and helps recognize the shape of several things.