Welcome to Education by Design's Online store. We have brought to you a selection of products like Books : If I Ran the Circus Classic Seuss along with it's reviews, pictures and related products. All sales from these pages goes towards the creation and maintenance of our educational online activities, articles and resources. We have over 40,000 online stories submitted by kids around the world.
2004-07-07I'm surprised this book is not mentioned very much in the current burst of interest in Seuss (2004 is his birth centennial). It's a marvellous tale and it would be a shame for someone to go through a childhood (or parenthood) and miss it.
If I Ran The Circus 2003-07-19
My dad bought me this book when I was quite young and to this day it is still my favorite book. I read it when i'm having a bad day and it always makes me smile. It has something for everyone. As a kid I liked the language and the amazing drawings. As an adult I like the idea of the dream of running a circus, so to speak.
for circus fans 2003-05-08
My 6yr old daughter picked this book out at the library because she saw a poster of it being held by Jonathan Lee Iverson - the ringmaster for Ringling Bros. She fell in love with the circus at age 4 and had to read this book when she saw the poster. She was so upset when it was time to return it that I decided to buy it for her and give it to her when she completes kindergarden. She looks for it every time we're at the library. It's a tongue twister for adults (what Seuss book isnt't) but actually kind of fun as you get into it. Lengthy too but if you have a circus fan I'm sure they'll love it too.
From Childhood to Adulthood 2002-01-11
This is the one book I would not let my parents put down as a child and now with my first child on the way I have a new copy to read aloud to him. The book is a fabulous adventure that never gets old. If you need a reason other than the wonderful story and its characters, try challenging yourself to read it all the way through with out getting tounge-tied. My father never could!
Castles in the Air! 2001-06-18
Young Morris McGurk is a conceptual thinker. He takes a look at the big vacant lot behind Sneelock's Store and sees the potential for the greatest circus ever. In fact, he sees roles for Mr. Sneelock to star and work in Circus McGurkus World's Greatest Show. The book is filled with imaginary Seuss creatures and unusual circus acts, far beyond what you'll ever see at the real thing. The marvelous imaginary story is told in rhyme, aided by being able to make up names for creatures to fit the scheme.
The circus will have acrobats, jugglers and clowns from 1033 faraway towns. At first, Mr. Sneelock will sell balloons and pink lemonade (all 500 gallons of it). By the end, he does the greatest circus feat of all time, diving four thousand, six hundred, and ninety-two feet into a fish bowl. "Don't ask me how he'll manage. That's his job. Not mine." This last image to me is the most indelible of all the ones in all of the Dr. Seuss books I have read. At boring moments when I can think of nothing else to entertain me, I consider ways that Mr. Sneelock can pull off this trick. (Feel free to e-mail me your solutions.)
What I love about the book is the cavalier way that Morris McGurk makes everything so simple. That's the beauty of being young and inexperienced. You don't know what you "can't" do yet. As such, this book will dazzle and amaze youngsters who have it read to them and read it themselves.
Actually, circuses operate on this principle. Those who wish to star in the circus dream up new and more amazing stunts, and audition to get starring roles. The job of the impressario is to simply choose amongst the best. The star has to figure out the illusion or feat.
Although many Dr. Seuss books have unusual creatures, the ones in this book are more vivid to me for some reason. The Spotted Atrocious is especially menacing. The idea of a Bolster, Nolster who is a lion-trout combination intrigues me. And who could be more challenging than a Grizzly-Ghastly? As you can see, Dr. Seuss has slipped in a little normal language here into the names, which gives the images power that totally abstract names cannot evoke.
As a selling point to Mr. Sneelock in young Morris's mind, I've always loved the final section:
"Why! He'll be a Hero!
Of course he won't mind
When he finds that he has
A big circus behind."
How typical of a child's imagination to totally transform someone's space, work, and world, and then assume that the person will find it all to be to their liking!
Another benefit of this book is that many young children find circuses a little scary. Although this circus is filled with fantastic-looking creatures, they are always perfectly well behaved. A parent can use the book to emphasize that the happy result is pretty certain. I can remember worrying as a four-year-old about whether the lions and tigers would get loose in the audience. I suggest that you do a little advance conditioning before a circus visit using this book to help evaporate such potential concerns . . . without providing your youngsters with any ideas they haven't already thought of.
After you have enjoyed the book again, think about where your imagination could benefit from becoming less restrained. Where could you make big dreams that others would enjoy?
Every great thing in life that benefits us today started as a dream in one person's mind. What's yours?
Wonderful, Imaginative Book!! 2007-08-15
My daughter and I love love love this book. It is so creative and everytime we read it (which is seriously twice a day) she finds something new in one of the pictures. The cadence and flow of the sentences is almost mesmerizing. Really delightful to read!
Dr. Seuss at the Circus 2007-01-07
This is a great book. The girls of my girlfriend love the book. As soon as I sit down, they grab a book and jump in my lap.
The remarkable foon! 2006-07-29
I stumbled on this with my daughter one night and she quickly fell in love with it.
It's one of the lessor known books but I think it's a great story. Dr. Seuss did a great job with with his words as it easy to get into a flow while reading and it also allows the story teller to play ring master and have fun.
This is a great bed time book and my daughter declared that only I can read it to her.
the potential in every thing 2006-04-04
"If I ran the circus" starts off with a boy and an empty lot. I had a lot similar to this near my childhood home. This book played perfectly into my wild imagination of what one could make out of a seemingly uninteresting place. It made me see things in a different way, the possibility that was in every place and every thing. This book is wonderful. Calm Sneelock is worked into the plan. (Isn't it just typical that kids think of shopkeepers as friends?) This book is a big part of my childhood and now I am happy to share it with my kids to help them see the potential in everything. One just needs to use a bit of imagination -- a lesson for young and old.
great kids book 2005-12-10
this book is great for kids because they get to see whats at a crcus. it broadens their vocablary. its an easy book to read with great pictures and fun rhyming!
by:
laura r.
