Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? by Dr Seuss

A fifty year anniversary edition of Dr Seuss’ Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? will have children roaring with laughter today just as much as they did half a century ago. The impetus to help children learn to read through humour was behind the Dr Seuss books. And this book of poems offers more than meets the eye.

An old man is giving advice to a younger person, called Duckie by the older man, who now tells us what he said. When you think things are bad and terribly sad then think of others who are far worse off. And so begins a hilarious list of people in predicaments that are ridiculous, magical and fantastic. Think of poor Ali who must mow his uncle’s backyard where the lawn grows back as soon as he mows it, or what about the person riding a camel on a wamel. What happens when the wamel becomes loose. You might be an abandoned left sock, or the Schlottz with an unenviable tail up in knots, or professor De Breeze whose life’s work has been to teach ducks how to read, an impossible task everyone must agree. There are so many far worse off. A new poem is offered on each page, a funny, fantastic poem that begs to be read aloud and read along with the audience. Some poems use incredible made up words, some are tongue twisters, some have names that will play havoc with pronunciation. Try saying the bee watcher poem out loud! Or the Borfin that shlumps, or the puffing poogleborn players going down the stairs.

All of these characters are much more unlucky than the reader.

So thank goodness they are not in their shoes. Seuss reiterates how lucky the reader is, promoting from fifty years ago an interest in mental health, in well being, and equanimity. This is a very funny, light hearted book of poems that will entertain, offering beneath the guise of silliness a whole gamut of understandings that will be discussed and considered by all who read them.

A very funny reading by John Cleeses can be found here. And the illustrations are incredible, bringing the fantastic creatures to the fore, a visual image to hang the poem on, a laugh out loud offering that will be closely observed, perused and absorbed through gales of laughter.

Themes: Mental health, Wellbeing, Luck, Humour.

Fran Knight