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The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library

[Oh the Things You Can Do That Are Good for You! (The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library)] [By: Dr. Seuss] [April, 2002]

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This title and others form part of a series of books that takes an off-beat look at nature and natural sciences through a fun combination of Seussian rhymes and zany illustrations. Aimed at early readers - from four to seven year olds - the books are designed to bridge the gap between concept books written for preschoolers and more formal non fiction titles that require fluent reading skills. By presenting the facts in a lively and rhythmic manner, they provide the critical foundation upon which complex facts and ideas can eventually be built.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

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687 people want to read

About the author

Dr. Seuss

964 books18.3k followers
Also wrote as Theodore Seuss Geisel, see https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he'd made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!"

In 1936 on the way to a vacation in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship's engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success.

During World War II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar.

In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel's publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat , which went on to instant success.

In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham . Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.

Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991.

Also worked under the pen name: Theo Le Sieg

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5 stars
1,197 (62%)
4 stars
393 (20%)
3 stars
251 (13%)
2 stars
49 (2%)
1 star
28 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Profile Image for Amanda.
2,473 reviews10 followers
July 16, 2010
Actually written and illustrated "in the manner of" Dr. Seuss, which is nice because it's fun and familiar, but also very up to date (i.e. I don't remember being told to sneeze into my elbow as a child). This covers lots of ground about being/staying healthy and clips along in a nice verse. Kept my 4 yr old's attention despite its length and amount of information, so that's a win-win situation for me!
Profile Image for Jen.
317 reviews8 followers
March 30, 2009
This is a cute book about taking care of one's self - emotions, helmets, exercise, sneeze catcher (in the elbow). It is very Seussey, but not written by Seuss. I would have given this 5 stars if it didn't go into the food pyramid and advising children to go easy on fat and eat lean meat or tofu....arggggg!!!!!
Profile Image for Lakeira King.
50 reviews1 follower
Read
July 10, 2013
This is a great book to get kids into exercising, nutrition, and health overall. There are many great activities you can do with this book. You can sort foods into the food pyramid, make healthy snacks, go for a class walk, and etc.
8 reviews
September 11, 2019
This book is a Poetry book about living a healthy lifestyle. It is easy to pick out a poetry book by the words on the pages, they all rhyme! This book is about way in which kids can stay healthy. It talks about exercising, taking care of your teeth, eating healthy, what to do when you have to sneeze, washing your hands and body are very important, how getting enough rest is very important, and when you're feeling sad to find someone to talk about your feelings with. Be smart and safe when riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard, and wear protection when playing sports. I would suggest this book to people because it is a fun way to teach children the importance on living a healthy lifestyle without being super serious and having a boring lesson taught to them. The book makes it fun for the audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rosa Cline.
3,328 reviews44 followers
June 24, 2017
This was a very very good book to help teach children about the importance of health and what to do to keep healthy. But taught in a way that is fun and not 'in your face". Story is told in rhyme as only Dr. Suess and Cat in the Hat can do. True to life facts are in boxes from Thing 1 and 2. This story wraps everything up as letting the child know that everyone is individuals and are different and that they are special and important. A very special book that you could purchase for a birthday or baby shower gift.
485 reviews
December 28, 2023
We are so pleased you read "Oh, the Things You Can Do That Are Good For You!" by Tish Rabe. This book is all about taking care of yourself and making healthy choices. You learned about good habits like eating healthy foods, exercising, and staying clean. These are important lessons that can help you grow strong and stay happy. You can use this knowledge in your daily life by choosing healthy snacks, playing outside, and keeping yourself clean. Remember, taking care of your body is a great way to take care of your mind too.

Love,
Mom and Dad
Profile Image for Sadia Mansoor.
554 reviews110 followers
May 19, 2017
You're important and special. Believe me its true!
No one in the world is exactly like you.
^_^

The book was a great reminder for teaching lil kids about the importance of taking care of their health. There are many common ways included in the book, like brushing you teeth before going to bed & why is it important for you to sneeze & what good benefits it brings to your body, etc. These are the basics, so its good to teach this book to toddlers.
Profile Image for Mariah Everett.
144 reviews20 followers
April 7, 2023
It's okay. I prefer Dr. Seuss classics that don't come with an agenda of being "educational" more than being creative, entertaining and fun. It pushes "my plate" as a well rounded healthy diet which I'm not entirely sure I agree with personally. It also talks about basic hygiene, staying clean, brushing teeth, covering sneezes, exercising. All good things. Contains a glossary, a list of books for further reading, an index, and a list of "healthy" recipes.
Profile Image for Tracey.
520 reviews16 followers
October 14, 2017
A quick read and it is very on point about living and eating healthy. I just got terribly bored and tired of it and I can only imagine what little ones will feel about it as well. I think I was hoping the book was in the Dr Seuss type of rhythm and rhyme, but it failed my expectations miserably. Oh well...
19 reviews
September 18, 2020
This book illustrated the concepts of how to have healthy eating habits. It was very informative in terms of what foods are good to consume. There was also information that leaned into what foods are more healthy than others. Reading this book is a great start for teaching young kids about proper nutrition.
Profile Image for Annie Flanders.
277 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2025
Another good book by Tish Rabe - who is successfully keeping the Dr Seuss stories alive.

This one is about health - and what things children can do to stay healthy.

At the back of the book is a glossary of terms and an Index of health related terms.


All in all - a very delightful book to read.
Profile Image for Sean Harding.
5,756 reviews33 followers
January 2, 2019
Tish, the cat, with hat, and the learning library, teach us the reader, about what is healthy for us, and really if you were not expecting that, you didn't read the title, because it it is pretty clear what it is all about, and the book has no twist, it is what it says!
Profile Image for Brittany.
293 reviews3 followers
November 9, 2020
Never a huge Dr Seuss fan, but the new author that helped create this did a great job at using poetry to plainly describe how and why it’s important to be clean, exercise, eat healthy, etc.
Profile Image for Amanda.
48 reviews
December 19, 2022
The kids keep asking to read it. The food pyramid is outdated and wrong.
26 reviews
August 2, 2024
Very well-written and informative book for kids. I would leave out the food pyramid pages, personally, but otherwise very straight forward and accessible.
Profile Image for Vanessa Henriques.
12 reviews1 follower
August 15, 2014
Written by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Aristides Ruiz and technically reviewed by the American Academy of Pediatrics ‘Oh, the Things You Can Do That Are Good for You!’ will definitely keep children entertained from start to finish.
The Cat in the Hat shows and explains to children, with the help of staff members of the Feeling Good Clinic, the basics of staying healthy, ranging from personal hygiene to healthy eating to exercising. Additionally, it also covers the topic of emotions as it explains children that it is okay to tell others about how we feel. Overall, the story is rich in language, with a fun, rhyming narrative and beautifully illustrated and colourful images throughout the book.
The book is mainly aimed at children in Key Stage 1, although, I would use this book with children both in Key Stage 1 and 2. The song for hand washing included in this book, would be a fun way to motivate smaller children to wash their hands more often.
In regards to children in KS2, this book could be used in a science lesson as it teaches children about how the brain functions, germs, teeth and healthy eating which could then possibly lead to a discussion between the whole group in regards to the importance of having a positive body image. In addition, it could be used in an English lesson where, after reading the book, children in KS2 would write about the different things which they do at home and at school which are good for them.
I particularly enjoyed reading this book and I believe that it would be an excellent book to use during a lesson as it teaches children all aspects of a healthy lifestyle in a way which they can understand.
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book671 followers
January 25, 2013
This is an entertaining and informative book about healthy living. With a fun, rhyming narrative, classic Dr. Seuss characters, and colorful background scenes of different deserts, it's a good book to read aloud with children.

I love that it shows different ways to stay active and eat healthy, which is the foundation of what I am teaching our girls for maintaining a healthy weight and a positive self-image throughout life. I want them to understand that body types cannot be changed, but how we live, play and eat can truly make a difference. We enjoyed reading this book together.
72 reviews31 followers
Read
October 7, 2016
Entertaining and educating, like all cat in the hat series. This book has beautiful and colourful illustration with apt messages. It covers all things that kids need to learn like taking care of health, importance of exercising, how to sneeze to avoid germs from spreading, right way of washing hands and body, right eating habits, right way to brush teeth and importance of playing and sleeping. This book full of rhymes will surely teach your kids the things the need to learn the fun way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews

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