Synopses & Reviews
Started by Dr. Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and illustrated by Lane Smith, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! is a joyous ode to individuality starring unsinkable teacher Miss Bonkers and the quirky Diffendoofer School (which must prove it has taught its students how to think--or have them sent to dreary Flobbertown). Included is an introduction by Dr. Seuss's longtime editor explaining how the book came to be and reproductions of Dr. Seuss's original pencil sketches and hand-printed notes for the book—a true find for all Seuss collectors! Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith pay homage to the Good Doctor in their own distinctive ways, the result of which is the union of three one-of-a-kind voices in a brand-new, completely original book that is greater than the sum of its parts. For all of us who will never forget our school days and that special teacher, here is a book to give and to get.
About the Author
Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. After attending Dartmouth College and Oxford University, he began a career in advertising. His advertising cartoons, featuring Quick, Henry, the Flit!, appeared in several leading American magazines. Dr. Seuss's first children's book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, hit the market in 1937, and the world of children's literature was changed forever! In 1957, Seuss's The Cat in the Hat became the prototype for one of Random House's best- selling series, Beginner Books. This popular series combined engaging stories with outrageous illustrations and playful sounds to teach basic reading skills. Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped kids learn to read. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 children's books, some of which have been made into audiocassettes, animated television specials, and videos for children of all ages. Even after his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.
Jack Prelutsky was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended New York City Public Schools and studied voice at the High School of Music and Art. He enrolled in Hunter College in Manhattan but left soon after "to become a beatnik". Jack has been a cab driver, a busboy, a photographer, a furniture mover, a potter, and a folk singer. He enjoys bicycling, playing racquetball, woodworking and cooking. He lives in Washington State with his wife Carolynn and a vast collection of poetry books and frogs in every shape, size, and form -- except living! There was a time when Jack couldn't stand poetry. In grade school he had a teacher who left him with the impression that poetry was the literary equivalent of liver. He rediscovered poetry in his twenties, and he decided that he would write about things that kids really cared about, and that he would strive to make poetry delightful. He has been writing poetry for more than twenty years and has published more than three dozen books for children.