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Ten Apples Up on Top
Learning to count has never been more fun than in this crazy tale of a dog, a lion and a tiger all showing off how many apples they can balance on their heads as they skip, walk the tightrope and roller skate their way through the book.
This delightful book forms part of the second stage in HarperCollins’ major Dr. Seuss rebrand programme. With the relaunch of 10 more titles in August 2003, such all-time favourites as How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book boast bright new covers that incorporate much needed guidance on reading levels: Blue Back Books are for parents to share with young children, Green Back Books are for budding readers to tackle on their own, and Yellow Back Books are for older, more fluent readers to enjoy. Ten Apples Up On Top belongs to the Green Back Book range.
This delightful book forms part of the second stage in HarperCollins’ major Dr. Seuss rebrand programme. With the relaunch of 10 more titles in August 2003, such all-time favourites as How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book boast bright new covers that incorporate much needed guidance on reading levels: Blue Back Books are for parents to share with young children, Green Back Books are for budding readers to tackle on their own, and Yellow Back Books are for older, more fluent readers to enjoy. Ten Apples Up On Top belongs to the Green Back Book range.
62 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
113 people are currently reading
8858 people want to read
About the author
Dr. Seuss
967 books18.3k followersAlso 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
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 837 reviews
January 28, 2020
Not a cozy mystery, not a YA coming of age, not latest in fantasy, but a balancing puzzle with ever increasing goals
Warning! Professional artists created the story and pictures
Beware of artificial apples - only use the approved fruit
Filmed under controlled conditions.
Do not attempt this without parental supervision
Can our hero keep ten apples up on top while escaping a maddened bear with a mop?
You didn't see that one coming did you?
Plus a bonus video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB-5s...
Enjoy!
Warning! Professional artists created the story and pictures
Beware of artificial apples - only use the approved fruit
Filmed under controlled conditions.
Do not attempt this without parental supervision
Can our hero keep ten apples up on top while escaping a maddened bear with a mop?
You didn't see that one coming did you?
Plus a bonus video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB-5s...
Enjoy!
July 22, 2018
What better story premise than three animals trying to best one another with apple stacking, only to have the town try to plot their defeat? This Beginner Book does just that, with three friends trying to stack one more apple atop their heads to best the others. When they both reach ten, others are out to get them and have one goal in mind: knock off them there apples. It's a race around town as these three seek to keep their ten apples from toppling, but someone will soon knock over the apple cart, literally. Neo enjoyed reading this story to me, practicing his reading and counting, all as the plot thickened. A great book for the independent reader who wants to show off their skills.
July 8, 2008
I have read every Dr. Seuss book out there and have loved all of them, but this one gets extra kudos, because not only did it help my daughter learn how to count, it also encouraged her love of books! This was one of her absolute favorites as she was learning how to read all by herself and she read it repeatedly. The illustrations by Roy McKie are adorably simple, great book!
February 23, 2020
A Balancing Act
21 February 2020 - Berri
Here I am, sitting in a motel in the Riverland in South Australia with some time to kill before the local distillery opens. So, I did what I normally do when I have some time to kill and that is read a Dr Seuss book, and this was the one that was at hand.
So, we have three animals, a lion, a tiger, and a dog, who are having a competition to see how many apples that they can balance on their heads. Well, as you can probably guess, they manage to get to ten, but they don’t seem to push it any further than that. Well, I guess it might have something to do with annoying the people around them, because all of a sudden we have a bear with a mop chasing them out of the house, and some birds who are attempting to get a free meal.
Well, this is your typical, and rather enjoyable, Dr Suess book. Yeah, it is nonsense, but he was the master of the nonsense rhyme, but not only that, but once again he shows his ability to create a beautiful poem, and one that can be appreciated by children. The rhyming is done in a way that doesn’t make it sound corny, and the meter is nothing short of perfect. In fact, I wonder whether he should be included in the list of all-time great English poets.
Actually, that makes me wonder whether I would actually get away with reading Dr Suess for poetry class in High School. I remember doing poetry back then, but for some reason, we always seem to go for the major poets like Shelly and Blake, among others. However, Dr Suess barely gets a mention, and honestly, he really should be up there among them. In fact, if you grab one of those compilations of poetry books you barely see him get a mention.
Honestly, this is another reason why I would love to go back in time and redo year 12, if only to write essays on Dr Suess poems, and of course do art as well, just so that I could push the limits by presenting a signed urinal as my final project.
21 February 2020 - Berri
Here I am, sitting in a motel in the Riverland in South Australia with some time to kill before the local distillery opens. So, I did what I normally do when I have some time to kill and that is read a Dr Seuss book, and this was the one that was at hand.
So, we have three animals, a lion, a tiger, and a dog, who are having a competition to see how many apples that they can balance on their heads. Well, as you can probably guess, they manage to get to ten, but they don’t seem to push it any further than that. Well, I guess it might have something to do with annoying the people around them, because all of a sudden we have a bear with a mop chasing them out of the house, and some birds who are attempting to get a free meal.
Well, this is your typical, and rather enjoyable, Dr Suess book. Yeah, it is nonsense, but he was the master of the nonsense rhyme, but not only that, but once again he shows his ability to create a beautiful poem, and one that can be appreciated by children. The rhyming is done in a way that doesn’t make it sound corny, and the meter is nothing short of perfect. In fact, I wonder whether he should be included in the list of all-time great English poets.
Actually, that makes me wonder whether I would actually get away with reading Dr Suess for poetry class in High School. I remember doing poetry back then, but for some reason, we always seem to go for the major poets like Shelly and Blake, among others. However, Dr Suess barely gets a mention, and honestly, he really should be up there among them. In fact, if you grab one of those compilations of poetry books you barely see him get a mention.
Honestly, this is another reason why I would love to go back in time and redo year 12, if only to write essays on Dr Suess poems, and of course do art as well, just so that I could push the limits by presenting a signed urinal as my final project.
February 4, 2025
I'd really like to know why they started stacking apples on their heads.
May 29, 2018
This early reader is filled with rollicking fun, repeated rhymes and wonderful animals. It will delight the eyes and ears of little ones and tickle the tongues of early readers. My grandson pronounced it one of his favorites as he practiced his early reading skills and fluency.
The storyline is also delightful. First the animal friends are competing to see how many apples they can carry on their heads. Then the bears chase them to get the apples. Finally, the apples are all shared and the animals are all friends. Great book to talk with young children about sharing.
The storyline is also delightful. First the animal friends are competing to see how many apples they can carry on their heads. Then the bears chase them to get the apples. Finally, the apples are all shared and the animals are all friends. Great book to talk with young children about sharing.
Read
July 6, 2017Came across this in a box of old books from childhood and flipped through it. All I can do is cringe at every page. APPLES CANNOT SUSTAIN BALANCE LIKE THIS, OH MY GOODNESS WHY HAVEN'T THEY FALLEN YET???? *cringe-sobs in the corner*
Deeply unsettling.
Fun rhymes though!
Deeply unsettling.
Fun rhymes though!
August 9, 2022
3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This is a very short little story, without any of the delightful Seuss illustrations. It’s basically just an I-can-read numbers book—but somehow it still has a plot and is enjoyable and funny!
January 30, 2022
“Nine is very good.
But then …
Come on and we,
will make it ten.”
🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎
“Look!
Ten apples up on top!
We are not
going to let them drop!”
But then …
Come on and we,
will make it ten.”
🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎
“Look!
Ten apples up on top!
We are not
going to let them drop!”
January 6, 2022
Learning to count has never been more fun than in this crazy tale of a dog, a lion and a tiger all showing off how many apples they can balance on their heads as they skip, walk the tightrope and roller skate their way through the book.
July 18, 2012
Although I was a huge Dr. Seuss fan as a child, I missed Ten Apples Up on Top until my son started reading it. I probably missed it because he originally published it under his Theo LeSieg pseudonym. My son first discovered the edited board book version and the graduated to the full version in first grade. He in turn read it to his sister so now both children love it.
Ten Apples Up on Top is the story of three rollerskating friends, a lion, a dog and a tiger and their competition to see who can balance to most apples up on top. As they add more apples their rollerskating adventures become sillier and more extreme, highlighting the absurdity of balancing apples on one's head.
What I love abut Ten Apples Up on Top is that it's fun to read aloud but easy enough for early readers to handle by themselves. That means we can either join together on the couch for family story time or Sean or Harriet can read the book to themselves. Sometimes they even read it to me.
Ten Apples Up on Top is the story of three rollerskating friends, a lion, a dog and a tiger and their competition to see who can balance to most apples up on top. As they add more apples their rollerskating adventures become sillier and more extreme, highlighting the absurdity of balancing apples on one's head.
What I love abut Ten Apples Up on Top is that it's fun to read aloud but easy enough for early readers to handle by themselves. That means we can either join together on the couch for family story time or Sean or Harriet can read the book to themselves. Sometimes they even read it to me.
November 20, 2017
The kids thought animals balancing apples on their heads was funny. I read this as a kid too. A silly story for bedtime. An oldie and a goody. Quaint pictures.
September 24, 2021
very funny, creative and interesting
April 3, 2022
Probably the best book I have ever read! So good. There are ten apples on top!
May 11, 2024
Why does the bear want them all to fail? Envy? Annoyance?
November 29, 2025
I could’ve done 11 apples
February 8, 2016
You can see why Dr Seuss did this under a different name, awful stuff. Rubbish illustrations, poor rhyming and it makes the counting a bit confusing, with its repeating and sudden counting down. Not impressed at all so it gets 2*, I read this to my daughter, might get her to read it instead, see if the book has a better effect then.
August 28, 2014
still have this book from when I was a kid!
December 6, 2017
This book is a good book to use to help students learn how to count and could easily be coupled with a number of sensory activities and crafts.
July 30, 2024
Totally unrealistic. Maybe 8 or 9 apples, but TEN?! Get out of here
April 14, 2023
Cute book about counting apples
November 29, 2022
A masterpiece
February 16, 2025
Been using this book at work for reading and counting programs with my job. It’s super fun and everyone enjoys it. Dr. Seuss never fails!
June 21, 2023
I thought this was a very cute and adorable read
September 21, 2016
Book summary: This is the book I used for poetry. It is not an award winnign book but so fun to read. Its about animals showing the number of apples they can balance on their head up to ten. This book rhymes and has fun colorful pictures. Just such a joy to read.
Grade level: PreK-1
Appropriate classroom use: I would like to use this book for two lessons. One for rhyming because it can be hard for kids to learn to rhyme, and another for counting. This book counts up to ten and down from ten. It would be so good to practice book counting and rhyming in this book.
Indv. students who benefit: Those students that have trouble with either counting or rhyming.
Small group use: The students could point out which two words or so rhyme in each page. Then they could focus on counting and I as a teacher would ask them what number comes next? Something along those lines.
Whole class use: I would read this book aloud and even try to have the kids say parts of the book aloud too. I enjoyed reading this book to this current class im in.
Related books: Any Dr. Suess books!
Multimedia connection: When I looked this book up there was a short video on it that would be nice to share. The video is a person reading the book aloud.
Grade level: PreK-1
Appropriate classroom use: I would like to use this book for two lessons. One for rhyming because it can be hard for kids to learn to rhyme, and another for counting. This book counts up to ten and down from ten. It would be so good to practice book counting and rhyming in this book.
Indv. students who benefit: Those students that have trouble with either counting or rhyming.
Small group use: The students could point out which two words or so rhyme in each page. Then they could focus on counting and I as a teacher would ask them what number comes next? Something along those lines.
Whole class use: I would read this book aloud and even try to have the kids say parts of the book aloud too. I enjoyed reading this book to this current class im in.
Related books: Any Dr. Suess books!
Multimedia connection: When I looked this book up there was a short video on it that would be nice to share. The video is a person reading the book aloud.
February 22, 2017
Counting Book
LeSieg, Theo (pseud). [Dr. Seuss]. Ten Apples Up On Top! (1961).
This silly Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss invites children to count along as a lion, a dog, and a tiger compete to see who can balance the most apples on their head. The competition escalates to a frenetic pace as the three characters decide to hop, skate, and drink while balancing apples in an effort to outdo each other. But with an angry bear on their tails, and a bunch of hungry birds after them will they be able to keep it up? In classic Dr. Seuss fashion, the silly rhymes and simple line illustrations with limited use of color engage and invite children to count and read along. The simple text includes many sight words and makes this a great book for beginning readers to practice decoding text. The images support the text so that when the lion states, "I can do three!" we see him balancing three red apples on his head that readers can point to and count for themselves. Lots of fun and very engaging, both in rhyming text and action packed illustrations, this book is sure to delight.
Target audience: ages 2-5.
LeSieg, Theo (pseud). [Dr. Seuss]. Ten Apples Up On Top! (1961).
This silly Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss invites children to count along as a lion, a dog, and a tiger compete to see who can balance the most apples on their head. The competition escalates to a frenetic pace as the three characters decide to hop, skate, and drink while balancing apples in an effort to outdo each other. But with an angry bear on their tails, and a bunch of hungry birds after them will they be able to keep it up? In classic Dr. Seuss fashion, the silly rhymes and simple line illustrations with limited use of color engage and invite children to count and read along. The simple text includes many sight words and makes this a great book for beginning readers to practice decoding text. The images support the text so that when the lion states, "I can do three!" we see him balancing three red apples on his head that readers can point to and count for themselves. Lots of fun and very engaging, both in rhyming text and action packed illustrations, this book is sure to delight.
Target audience: ages 2-5.
February 15, 2022
Yet again D.r Seuss has written a hilarious book!🙂
June 5, 2008
I had never read this as a child and was pleased to find it.
We first used it as an early reader, but it works great as a read-aloud for little guys too. The words are fairly easy and mainly phonetic or sight words. It's fun and has a good rhythm as well.
This book would also work well for math - counting as apples are added and taken away, as additional people join, etc.
We first used it as an early reader, but it works great as a read-aloud for little guys too. The words are fairly easy and mainly phonetic or sight words. It's fun and has a good rhythm as well.
This book would also work well for math - counting as apples are added and taken away, as additional people join, etc.
April 5, 2018
Ten Apples Up on Top can be a great book to incorporate into a counting lesson. It's an easier read because of the rhyme scheme, and the illustrations are colorful and attention grabbing. Students will be drawn to the story without realizing they are counting. I will have this book in my future classroom.
June 12, 2018
Somehow we ended up with 2 copies of this board book. When we hide one from the toddler (because we've just read it 10 times in a row) he will find the 2nd copy...sigh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 837 reviews