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Original poster

Dr Seuss books - do your DC like these books?

25 replies

Startingtomoveon · 04/02/2022 11:01

We have a box set of 20 Dr Seuss books that DS(6) refuses to let us read to him as he does not like the Cat in The Hat etc. All but two of the books have never even been opened, and it was bought two years ago.

Do your DC of around 6-7 years like Dr Seuss books? I loved these books when I was primary age but I have just become aware that 6 of his books have been withdrawn due to racism etc.

The reason I ask is that he has his 7th birthday soon and I wondered if I could include the pristine, unused ones in party bags? Obviously I would thoroughly check each one that I would use to ensure that they were suitable. There are titles like the Lorax, The Places You Will Go etc - see photo

Dr Seuss books - do your DC like these books?

OP posts:

MonkeyPuddle · 04/02/2022 11:02

My 4 year old has that same box and likes some of them, not others. Same with all books really. Not sure about the withdrawals though. I’d be happy for DS to receive a book in a party bag over plastic tat.

AlDanvers · 04/02/2022 11:05

Both of mine loved then. We had the same set and I still have it now. They are 11 and 18 and still love Dr Seuss.

CharacterForming · 04/02/2022 11:05

Our DC loved them all when they were younger but they're not really appropriate for a 7th birthday party bag I'm afraid. Pass them on to a younger family member? (Take out the ones with racist pictures if any of them are in there but they probably aren't).

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6 year olds Children's books

SherryPalmer · 04/02/2022 11:08

My kids weren’t keen on The Cat in the Hat but love the others in the box set.

Vanillaradio · 04/02/2022 11:37

Ds had a similar set and absolutely loved them but by 7 he was a bit over them it was more
last year at nursery and reception/y1. And yes at least a couple definitely had racist illustrations and we found one with a racist word so check!

SartresSoul · 04/02/2022 12:21

My 3 year old is a huge fan, he finds them funny.

Mayhemmumma · 04/02/2022 12:26

My kids loved them! Seven year old still does, 10 year old fond of them but is into different things now

Mayhemmumma · 04/02/2022 12:27

He wouldn't want them in a party bag sorry. It's cool apparently to read chapter books

HoppingPavlova · 04/02/2022 12:34

All mine hated them, couldn’t stand any Dr Seuss book. They all loved the Julia Donaldson books (Gruffalo etc), and the Lynley Dodd series (Hairy Maclary, Slinky Malinky etc). There were others but these two were the universal favourites with my crew.

RandomQuest · 04/02/2022 12:39

My 4YO likes them but I think 7 is far too old.

TeenPlusCat · 04/02/2022 13:09

I will always remember the day DD2 called down from her bedroom Dad, why are they bad and sad and glad?

INeedNewShoes · 04/02/2022 13:18

DD (nearly 5) loves the Dr Seuss books.

I was scared of the Cat in the Hat when I was a child. It's really bloody creepy - he walks into the house uninvited and does loads of naughty things. I remember finding the book stressful to read!

charliebear78 · 04/02/2022 13:37

My friend bought that set for my first sons birthday..don't actually remember reading them.
Read them a bit with my 2nd son who enjoyed one or two..I'm not keen on them..don't like the pictures and they are bloody hard to read!
However it's like I've been brainwashed because I always rhyme mad bad sad now in my head! Argh....

ThreeFeetTall · 04/02/2022 14:25

We love them. Kids age 2 and 5.
Cat in the hat is an awful person though, they have made him more friendly in the tv series

ThreeFeetTall · 04/02/2022 14:25

I realise he's not actually a person

SomeOwlsCoo · 04/02/2022 14:29

DS2 (15) still knows most of them from memory! I've never really liked them but he was always obsessed.

TeenTraumaTrials · 04/02/2022 14:34

@TeenPlusCat

I will always remember the day DD2 called down from her bedroom Dad, why are they bad and sad and glad?

Oh that brings back memories. We have a very battered copy if One Fish Two Fish that I will never throw out because it was DDs fave book as a toddler and we took it everywhere. DH and I could do it by heart and I think I could just about still do it now. Wasn't a fan of many of the others though although I do love the Grinch.

BertieBotts · 04/02/2022 14:40

We really like them. Agree the age range is about 3-5.

reluctantbrit · 04/02/2022 15:04

DD wasn't keen on them, she had a couple from school and some were read and some she didn't finish as she found them boring.

I can't stand them but I don't like the rhyming bit and as a non-UK person I don't see the obsession with him.

I would say they are for a bit younger children than 7. If you don't want to sell them, maybe offer them to your DD's primary school for their library. DD's reading book sets ended up there and most of her 7-12 year books were given to another primary school where we know a teacher. They are always glad to get books for their libraries.

BethDutton · 04/02/2022 15:12

My kids are teens now but both loved them, my 18 yr kid DS still has The Places You’ll Go book on his bedside table! My DD loved The Wocket in my Pocket. Kids have their own taste in books, my DD reads science fiction now and all my favourite childhood books are not to her taste.

I love the party bag idea, very generous.

TeenPlusCat · 04/02/2022 15:29

The thing with Dr Seuss is there is a wide age range in the books.
Hop on Pop is for a few years younger than The Places You'll Go.

StrictlySinging · 04/02/2022 16:13

Several are fine for that age imo eg the places you’ll go, the sleep book and the cat in the hat, green eggs and ham. We read them for years and loved them probably ages 5-9

One fish two fish red fish blue fish for younger kids especially cool little kids 😊

IseeScottishhills · 04/02/2022 16:27

@INeedNewShoes

DD (nearly 5) loves the Dr Seuss books.

I was scared of the Cat in the Hat when I was a child. It's really bloody creepy - he walks into the house uninvited and does loads of naughty things. I remember finding the book stressful to read!

^^This. For some reason my DM loved it and used to read it to me lots when I was little and I never told how much I hated it and how it scared me. For me it’s something creepy coming into your home uninvited and invading your privacy. Odd really because by nature I’m a friendly outgoing welcome to my home type person with no hang ups but even just thinking about the story now gives me the slight creeps.

Perroquet · 04/02/2022 16:49

@StrictlySinging

Several are fine for that age imo eg the places you’ll go, the sleep book and the cat in the hat, green eggs and ham. We read them for years and loved them probably ages 5-9

One fish two fish red fish blue fish for younger kids especially cool little kids 😊

Green Eggs and Ham is NOT ok at all! The message it conveys is that even if someone says "No" to something multiple times, you should keep coaxing, cajoling, bullying, and eventually intimidate them into doing that which they do not wish to do, and then miraculously that person will realise they actually like doing it. It shows zero respect for personal boundaries or consent, and clearly can be read as a sexual harassment metaphor. See this post for a mum's great poetic rejoinder: www.elephantjournal.com/2013/09/green-eggs-consent/

Also, Cat in the Hat makes me highly uncomfortable -- again, clear lack of consent, cat exposes kids to naughty tricks, taking advantage of mother's absence. Could be read as a paedophilia metaphor.

SkankingMopoke · 04/02/2022 17:07

I have a 5 and 7yo and have the same box set. 7yo may occasionally choose to read The Sneetches, Oh The Places You'll Go, or The Lorax, but otherwise outgrew them a couple of years ago. My 5yo still enjoys reading the above plus the two Cat In The Hat stories and Green Eggs, enough that she will pick them off the shelf to read to herself independently. The rest she has grown out of.
I definitely wouldn't put them in a 7yo's party bag. 4yo, maybe, depending on how book-y the DCs/their families are.

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