There's A Wocket In My Pocket: Blue Back Book - Dr. Seuss

My Mum bought this for my 4 year old about 6 months ago. When I first read it I simply thought it was absolutely bananas, and my daughter was a bit unsure about it too, so it was kind of forgotten about for a while. But recently it keeps coming to the top of the reading pile again and again, and I have just read it to her at bedtime tonight, well in fact I read it twice, and she is really starting to enjoy it and finds it really quite funny. I think the fact that she has recently started school, is learning to read and beginning to understand the sounds that words are made up from, has really helped with her enjoyment of this book.

There's A WOCKET In My POCKET

The book is narrated by a little boy who takes you around his house and points out various creatures that live there, and the names of these creatures rhyme with the area they are residing. For instance the first line of the book is:

"Did you ever have the feeling there's a WASKET in your BASKET?"
"...Or a NUREAU in your BUREAU?"

Yes you may think this seems ridiculous, and to be honest it is, but the more I read it, the more I love it. It's the ridiculous that makes it all the more enjoyable. Dr Seuss was obviously quite a character, and this is reflected in his writing style.

Throughout the book you meet over 20 different creatures residing in various places within this little boy's house, and sometimes the boy will comment on these creatures musing whether he thinks they are nice or not, or fun to have around. My favourite two lines of the whole book are:

"But that NOOTH GRUSH on my TOOTH BRUSH...Him I could do without"

and

"But that BOFA on the SOFA...Well, I wish he wasn't there"

Educational?

It's rather a whacky book, but I honestly think it is actually helping my daughter with her reading skills (well perhaps not reading, but it's assisting her with the whole phonics thing). She is in the very early stages of learning the alphabet through the jolly phonics style of learning, and this is all about 'sounding' out the letters, and as I read this book to her she often repeats the two words that rhyme, such as ZABLE and TABLE, or YEPS and STEPS. Now I know zable and yeps do not exist in the English language, but the fact that they rhyme with the real words is in some way assisting my daughter with learning how words are formed. I don't think I'm intelligent enough to express exactly how this book helps her; but I'm guessing it is through repeating words and rhyming that she is starting to build up an understanding of letters and words.

Illustrations

The illustrations are in the standard Dr Seuss style - but this book seems to have a wider range of colours than what I remember from my childhood Dr Seuss books. The creatures throughout the book are all very sketchy and quite peculiar looking, but mostly they are just amusing to look at. My daughter's favourite is the NINK in the SINK who is doing backstroke and spewing water from his mouth.

Overall

I really recommend this book for children aged 4 and upwards. They will love the funny names of the creatures, and they will also enjoy the illustrations. It is an entertaining read and definitely one for sharing with children who are just getting to grips with reading.

My copy was published by Carnival and is a small hardback.
ISBN 9780007892389
RRP £2.99

Available on Amazon and Play in various formats for various prices.