Herrings Go about the Sea In Shawls: ...and other classic howlers from classrooms and examination papers...

by Alexander Abingdon, Dr. Seuss (Illustrator)

Redesigned and repackaged with a vintage look, this hilarious compilation of ill-digested juvenile learning, first published in 1931, contains some of the earliest drawings in the Dr. Seuss treasury.

Genres: Humor, Education

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[sammanthia starr-hath · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Gender is the destruction of sex” 😂 A cute, quick read.

[Emily B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like an older version of one I already have on my shelves, titled F in Exams. Personally, I prefer the content of the latter because it has more modern references i.e. claiming that Mariah Carey is the highest frequency noise a human ear can register. Herrings has its own share of positives, though. Most of them come from the Dr. Seuss illustrations. For example, when Achilles is dipped in "The River Stinx" instead of Styx, his mother looks disgusted. In a later chapter, a student claims "Geometry teaches us how to bisex angels", and Seuss' professor is visibly uncomfortable with the new material. Although this is one of his more obscure works, I liked it as much as his more famous kids' books.

[Kevin Vrieze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to call it a symposium of mistakes. Some, indirectly, quite witty. Some better called mis-information. In worst cases there are pun-payment. Still, not a bad read. If you see it, it is a pleasant read.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two reasons I like this book:
A) I found it funny
B) It made me feel smart

There's nothing like laughing at someone else's mistake--especially anonymously so it doesn't feel mean--to give your ego a boost. There's no other reason I can think of for why I so thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, re-readability is low, hence the 3 star rating.

[Fishface · Rating 5 out of 5]

More proof of the efficacy of the American school system. I howled as I read some of these.