Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because it is my FAVORITE Dr. Seuss book and with all the talk about the “The Lorax” movie, I thought it was a good idea to mention a Dr. Seuss book!
Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog
By Theo LeSieg (Dr. Seuss)
Illustrated by Roy McKie
36 pages – ages 3+
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers January 22, 2007 (originally published in 1975)
Theme/Topic – Thinking/making choices
Opening and Synopsis – “Tell me! Would you rather be a dog…or a cat? It’s time for you to think about important things like that.”
Dr. Seuss, writing as Theo LeSieg (Geisel backwords) takes us on a funny trail of “would you rathers” that makes everyone think and laugh! Seriously, did you ever think – Would I rather be a… Bullfrog or Butterfly? , Minnow or Whale?, Hammer or Nail?
Why I liked this book – This book isn’t one of the more popular Dr. Seuss books, in fact a lot of people never heard of it but it is my favorite. I like that the book makes you think about all the things Dr. Seuss asks. Some of the questions can make you think hard – like would you rather be a cactus, a toadstool or a rose? I’d like to be a cactus because they live long and they get birds living in them so I’d have company 🙂 I think the book is a good way to get kids and parents to think and talk. The illustrations in the books are really great too.
Activities and Resources – I think it is a lot of fun for families to ask each other “Would you rather” questions and explain why they chose what they did.
Seussville is an awesome place to visit. There are all kinds of games and activities there. Click HERE to go to it. You can even make your own Who – here’s mine. His name is Sylvester Cornelius Futzenfell.
To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog HERE!
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Categories: Age 1-5, Age 6-9, Erik's Favs
I have never heard of this book, so I will definitely have to check it out, but hold the presses for a second: how is it possible that I never knew Theo LeSieg was Dr. Seuss???!!!!! All this time I thought it was someone else who just mimicked Seuss’s style! See? You learn something new every day 🙂 In either case, the book sounds like a lot of fun, and a great way to get thinking! Thanks so much for sharing and teaching me something I didn’t know!
I really love this book! I hope you like it! Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote as Dr. Seuss, Theo. LeSieg and Rosetta Stone 🙂 I knew it becasue it had a bit about who Theo LeSieg really was in the front of the book 😉
Eric, you are right, I haven’t heard of this Seuss book, and that needs to be rectified. Love those thought provoking questions. Super choice.
Thanks I hope you like it!
Hi Erik! I have never heard of this book! I can’t wait to go find it at the library. How funny that he spelled his name backwards for his pen name! Did you see the post on Eric’s (thebirthdayauthor.com) about Dr. Seuss’ birthday? It’s a awesome post and links to another super cool Seuss fan site. Check it out and thanks for a great review!
I always hear that people never heard of this one! I just read the Dr. Seuss post on Ms. LaTulippe’s site! She has ANOTHER AWESOME Dr. Seuss book – Green Eggs and Ham! I enjoyed the interview with Mr. Van Raepenbusch too!
Thanks, Erik! But now you’ve got me squeezing my brain to come up with a great rhyme for Mr. Van Raepenbusch!
I saw your ryhme! Very cool!!
I love Dr. Seuss, particularly because I have a budding reader. These are so fun to read, and the words tend to be rather simple. I’ll pick this one up for Cooper to challenge him.
I hope Cooper likes it! 🙂
My son adores this book and he is working on reading it himself. Excellent choice!
YAY! You heard of it! I am glad you guys like it 🙂
A bullfrog or a butterfly?
A hound dog or a cat?
I think I’d rather just be me,
What do you think of that!
Yay, another Seuss! I’ve never heard of this one either. But more importantly….you can make your own Who??? I’m going over there RIGHT NOW! 🙂
Yes, make your very own Who!! I like that you want to be you 😉
Greatt, another Dr. Seus book. Am not familiar with this one. But, I sure like the message. Ultimately is best to be yourself. Loved that you’d like to be a cactus — very good reasons! Think I’d like to be anything that flies — probably a butterful, because I like the symbolism of transformtion. Nice choice, Erik!
Sorry for the typos. Was typing too fast and didn’t check until I clicked “post.”
That always happens to me!
Good choice on the butterfly! Flying would be fun 🙂
This is great you reviewed this book just days before his birthday. Fantastic choice. I wanna make my own who, too. 🙂
Thanks! have fun making your Who!
I have too many favourite books to name them all, but two of my chlhdiood favourites were Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. And when I had kids of my own, one of the first books I got was Green Eggs and Ham. I can’t imagine how many hundreds of times I read it out loud, and I never got tired of it.
Thanks for the introduction to this book. We have some of the more popular Seuss books, but they are too long for my little one. This book might work. We’ll give it a try.
It is a shorter Dr. Seuss book and there aren’t a lot of words on each page. I hope your son likes it!
I love the idea of making yourself into a Who. I’m going over to check out Seussville right now. Thanks, Erik!
Have fun making your own Who!
Nice review. I still have all the Dr. Seuss from when I was younger. They are beat-up, well-read books. I still like to read the every now and then. Your post really has me reminiscing.
Thank you! I am glad you like it!
My kids really like this book, as do I! It is in the stack of Dr. Seuss books we will be reading until his birthday! Very nice review, Erik!
Thanks Mr. Van Raepenbusch! I am glad your kids like tha book!
This book sounds like fun — and thank you for explaining about the other names Dr. Seuss used! I’ve learned something today. I like that.
Thank you! It is cool that he wrote under different names!
I love Dr. Seuss and have never heard of this book. I also love playing the “would you rather” game — so great suggestion to play with the kids. Thanks Erik!
That is a fun game to play! You should check the book out too 🙂
Eric…thank you for a wonderful review and great resources. Also, thanks so much for teaching us all about Dr.Seuss and his other pen names. 🙂
I love the activity you suggest of family members asking each other, “What would you like to be?” Sounds like lots of fun!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
A new Dr. Seuss my kids don’t know about, fabulous! I must look out for it sojnds delightful Erik!
I hope you and your kids like it! 🙂
Where has this book been? Dr. Suess is a big favorite as a read aloud here so thank you for introducing me to a new to us book!
I really don’t know why more people don’t know about this book! I think it is really GREAT! I hope you like it!
A Classic! I’ll certainly share this with my sons. Nice to meet you in the Perfect Picture Book Fridays world!
I hope your sons like it! Thank oyu for stopping by my blog 🙂
This is on my list of books I HAVE to read. I love Dr. Seuss. Thanks for the review.
I hope you like it!
Never heard of this book. Thanks!
Thank you for stopping by and commenting! 🙂
This is a new one to me, too. I had accumulated a few Seuss books when my girls were little, and we loved reading them. Thanks for this one. Maybe I can find it for my grandson … or just for my own library. 🙂 As for Green Eggs and Ham, that was a favourite along with Horton Hears A Who. And to think that one of Seuss’ teachers said he couldn’t draw and would never go anywhere with it. HA! Good example of not letting others discourage you. If your talent is real it will be recognized if you just keep at it.
Thanks, Erik.
I hope you like it (if you can find it)! It’s amazing that one of Theodore Geisel’s teachers said that he couldn’t draw! It’s a good lesson to keep trying and never give up! 🙂