New Tricks I Can Do!

Spot #3

by Robert Lopshire

Illustrated in full color. Thirty-seven years after creating the breakthrough reader Put Me in the Zoo ,  Robert Lopshire has brought Spot back. This time, Spot must perform new and exciting tricks in order to convince the circus folks to keep him on. He changes colors, he breaks out in plaid and argyle, and even does his best Jackson Pollock imitation. The result? Old Spot might just be too good for the circus!  

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Kids, Fiction, Poetry

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 1996

About the author

Robert Lopshire wrote and illustrated the Beginner Books Put Me in the Zoo, I Want to Be Somebody New!, and New Tracks I Can Do! He died in 2002.

Reviews

[Matt]

Neo has a handle on this book, which showcases Robert Lopshire, writing in the Seussian style. Spot has come to see that his circus days are done. He is sure that his tricks with spots have been seen by all who attend and he will soon be asked to leave. However, as he shows the two young children who serve as narrators, Spot has much more he can do. From chasing colours to patterns and even some zany mixtures in between, Spot is sure to dazzle anyone who watches. So, with that in mind, ought he rush to the circus again to show off these new tricks? Read the book to find out. Neo did well recounting these rhymes to me, in the hopes that he would be able to read effectively and find the pace he needed to make sense of it all. He tackled words large and small, in this book perfect for the newer reader. We continue Seuss-themed books and Neo is ready to keep up the good work!

[Rod Brown]

Fired from the circus because his act has gotten stale, Spot shows the boy and girl who are always around that he has some new tricks he can do with colors.

It's a bit simple, but I like Spot's energy and the little twist at the end. My daughter also enjoyed all the color changes when she was two.

[Emily]

Genre: Children's Fiction
Grades: K-1

Personally, I thought this book was very long-winded. There was a lot of information crammed in one book. However, this would be a good book to show rhyming words and word families.

[Mackenzie Putvin]

A great squeal to Put Me in the Zoo

[Patricia Kaniasty]

Gotta love Dr. Seuss. Once a classic, always a classic.

[K Morlando]

Another great teaching tool! We used this to work on our patterns unit in math.

[Stephanie]

Purchased 2016, read to herself first time today. Rating A’s - she didn’t like it. Rating changed over the course of a couple days.

[Hayley Shaver]

I love this book. It reminds me of the inestimable Dr. Seuss. Kids will really love the bright colors and simple story line.

[J.R. LaMar]

Cute book but a bit too similar to its predecessors.

[Holly Towns]

I like this book more than the original Spot book called Put Me in the Zoo. This books shows much better designs and he ended up in a better place as a t.v. Star.

[KaitandMaddie]

These are fine, but a bit boring.

[Manjiri Tapaswi]

Great for a beginner toddler!

[Kelly Chester]

What a great book

[Judy]

Yes, this works for a young reader ... but it goes on and on and on. The last few pages are the least favorite.

Not a keeper.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

This is a great book to learn colors and shapes with. The children love calling the colors and shapes out on the pages. But more than that it's a great book that shows that there isn't just one game in town. Spot is sad that the circus doesn't want him anymore. So all he thinks about is what he can do to get back to it. While his friends point out that there's a different place his talents would be better served. For those times that we get rejected it's a good book to read that reminds us that there are plenty of other games in town.

* Talking Points: Spot can do a lot of tricks. What talents do you have? Spot feels bad that the circus doesn't want him. Tell about some times of rejection in your life. Spot has friends who love him and who help him see his other options. Who do you have that supports your dreams and helps you see the options you have?

** Essential Oil Pairing Tip: In times of rejection it can be a real blow to our self-esteem. At times like those diffusing doTERRA's bergamot essential oil can really help. It's the oil of self-love and it can remind us to love ourselves and be happy with ourselves for just who we are.

[Dolly]

We are always looking for good books for beginning readers. We've gone through most of the stacks at our local library and get frustrated at the lack of selection. So when we came across a bunch of easy readers in the book swap, I was thrilled. We'll read them and give them right back. This one was a decent read and our girls took turns reading it aloud. The rhyming narrative and colorful illustrations were good to encourage beginning readers.

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes)]

I liked this one. It taught not only colors, but patterns as well. It was also a bit more difficult of a read than its predecessor "Put Me In The Zoo" for those whose children are reading it themselves.

[Jason Chiang]

I have read this book to my little one many many times. It is an entertaining book with an explosion of colors and patterns. Also the story is quite good too. One of my favorite Dr. Seuss-ey type books!

[Cynthia]

Wow this unlocked so many happy memories for me. An absolute favorite from my childhood and still very enjoyable now. I loved all the vibrant colors and patterns. Robert Lopshire made some fantastic books.

[Mandy]

Not as good as the original but a cute story none-the-less that reinforces colors and introduces patterns to little ones.

A good beginner reader to help encourage young children to read.

[Cool]

DMW read to JEB

[Evan]

I liked it. I liked the part where he could change colors. He could change my favorite colors, red, blue, green, purple, and brown.

No that's it.

[Gail]

If you've read/bought the first one you can skip this one.

[Theresa]

these were great books to .memorize and read to the kids

[Tori]

2009- Pre-K set loves this book!

[Joey Fong]

I like how the story showed children that even after rejections, they can still do well like the character Spot. Good for rhyming and creative writing.

[Pam]

Not quite as engaging as the first...

[Starr Elementary]

Spot is always fun! This is great practice for little one's colors and shapes.

[Sara]

What I like most about this book is how colorful it is. It's filled with so many patterns and color coordinations. The story to me seemed to drag out but it was cute.

[Jennifer]

Great kids book! It rhymes and teaches them some patterns. Pretty easy read for kids.