What Was I Scared Of?

This Dr. Seuss book is about fearing that which we do not understand, namely others who do not look like us. I like this book for three reasons. To start, the writing is rhythmic and cleverly rhymed. One of my favorite passages reads, “I said,’ I do not fear those pants With nobody inside them.’ I said, and said, and said those words. I said them. But I lied them.” I also like how the illustrations are all a blueish green except for the main character, the pale green pants, and the moon. It lends to the sense of an eerie darkness, and creates a focus on the two characters. Finally, I like how, even though the story and the characters are unreal, the point Dr. Seuss makes about fear hits home. Once the characters learn that the show more other is harmless, they become friendly and even say “Hi!” whenever they see each other. show less

Great book about how to overcome a fear by realizing that your fear may be as scared as you are. This book goes to show that once we get to know one another, we have more in common than what our fear told us and we can begin to mend that bridge to become friends.

What was I Scared of? is a unique story about facing your fears. I really enjoy this book because it is an entertaining read with a fun rhyme scheme. The one thing that I don’t really enjoy about this book is how outlandish the character is that plays the object of fear. Dr. Seuss uses a pair of pants with nobody inside them. However that element could be something that children find humorous. “I lost my Grin-itch spinach But I didn’t even care. I ran for home! Believe me, I really has a scare. Now, bicycles were never made For pale green pants to ride ‘em, Especially spooky pale green pants With nobody inside ‘em.” I love how Dr. Suess uses nonsense words with no meaning such as “Grin-itch.” It can be used to test show more students sight reading skills. It also makes for an enjoyable reading experience. Again, the rhyme scheme is easy and can be used to practice flow. The story is playful and imaginative and also teaches a lesson while building reading skills. show less

What's a pair of empty green pants doing standing in the woods? The narrator of What Was I Scared Of? has no idea and certainly doesn't want to find out. But whether he's fishing or shopping for spinach, he seems destined to be haunted by the spooky empty pants. It takes being trapped in a side bush for the truth to come out and realization to dawn with wonderful Seussian simplicity. **SRC Quiz**

A little guy is going through the woods one night and sees a pair of pants ‘with nobody inside them’. He thinks this is really odd and kind of scary so he runs away. Night after night, however, he runs into these pants until he’s about scared out of his wits. It finally comes to the point that they are ‘face to face’, and he realizes that the pants were just as scared as he.

Dr. Seuss' "What Was I Scared Of?" Is a cute book with glow-in-the-dark illustrations about a pair of pants with no one inside them. As in all his works, the words are simple and rhyming and is an appropriate length for the target age group. In a classroom, setting, students can discuss what things make them scared when the lights are off. Students could also draw a person inside of the pants that made the character so scared.

I would use this book more for life lessons and teaching kids that what they might be scared of may not really be scary. It'd be great for kids of any grade but especially K-2 or with special education. They would find this book funny and the glow in the dark aspect of it would make it interesting.