I Want to Be Somebody New!

Spot, the main character in “Put Me in the Zoo” returns for a brand new adventure in this Beginning Reader tale. Using his magic, Spot experiences different personas as he becomes animals that are big, tall, and small before learning that it really is good to simply be himself.

The lively story, told in a simple rhyme and with bright illustrations, is sure to appeal to young readers,

Recommended.

I love Put Me In The Zoo, so I picked this up used without really reading it through. Well, it's a dollar I'm never getting back...!

Spot, who is better off in the circus than the zoo (seriously, read the original, because it rocks) is bored with being himself, so he decides to play around and change shapes. Will he be an elephant? A giraffe? A mouse?

We already know the ending - he's going to find out that his own shape is best. The only thing now is to find out WHY his own shape is best.

Well, it's not best because he can do things in that shape, or because other people are familiar with it, or because it's just a nice shape to be in, or even because he has opposable thumbs. It's best because elephants are too fat to go on see-saws, show more because birds nest in giraffe's ears (???) and because people put out traps to catch mice. Oh, and because his juvenile friends are judgmental brats who don't love their friend for who he is and support him in this crisis but tell him "We don't like you like that" every time.

Sheesh. I'm not sure if I even want to give this one away, but I guess it'll be less of a pain in a full classroom of books where each kid reads it about once or twice instead of over and over again. show less

Very cute story line. Similiar to many I have read where the main character wants to be something else and learns that being himself is really the best choice. Complimentary pictures that are unique and captivated a young audience.

This is a story about a large creature with spots who meets two young children. He goes through a series of different forms trying to find someone new to be. He changes into an elephant, a giraffe and a mouse before finally figuring out that it is best to just be who he is. Each form did not quite fit in one way or another. The illustrations are bright, simple and consistent with the words on the page.

I didn't read the first - that might have helped my appreciation for this. ?�The lesson is obvious - be content with who you are, be true to yourself, your friends will love you for you, not for any airs you put on.

(Read in The Big Red Book of Beginner Books.)

Dr. Seuss book